As Abbott HeartMates Grows, Personal Connections Do Too

Our team of heart health heroes expands by 11 "draft picks," each with an inspiring comeback story.

This is how you build a heart health dynasty.

While pro football teams were drafting new players in hopes of creating a winning team, the Abbott HeartMates program continued adding heart health champions to our already strong roster.

We welcomed 11 new teammates during our HeartMates Draft event over three days in April — ranging from a rodeo champion who recovered from a stroke to a bracelet-making 11-year-old who is thriving after receiving a heart transplant.

The connection they now share is what our heart health-focused program is all about. Ever since HeartMates kicked off in 2023, members have told us over and over again that being able to share their stories with others who know what they’re going through truly makes the program meaningful. With every new addition to the team, these special bonds grow stronger.

This latest class of draftees found out they made the team thanks to surprise calls from none other than current pro football player Damar Hamlin and retired pro Tedy Bruschi, our Abbott HeartMates ambassadors.

Like Hamlin and Bruschi, each of these 11 new teammates has shown extraordinary courage in either coming back from a heart-related setback or managing a heart condition while they pursue their dreams.

Introducing our 2025 HeartMates Draft picks:

Stran Smith, a rancher and 2008 rodeo world champion from Childress, Texas, had a stroke at age 32 caused by a patent foramen ovale (PFO) — an opening between the right and left sides of the upper chambers of the heart. He received an Abbott Amplatzer PFO Occluder and is back to working his ranch with his wife and three children. Smith has also shared his story in a new book.

Jaden Hartley, of Chicago, joins the HeartMates team about a year after meeting program ambassador Damar Hamlin while he was in the hospital. Hartley had gone into heart failure while on vacation in Hawaii and was airlifted back home. He received Abbott’s HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and then successfully underwent a heart transplant. Now back at school, he’s picking up a basketball again and inspiring others after an incredible journey.

Heather Strong, of New Boston, N.H., had a hole in her heart, and so did her two daughters. Strong, as her name suggests, fought her way back from two strokes, the first of which happened in late 2023. Her and her daughters’ hearts were repaired with Amplatzer Septal Occluder devices, and all three are now living active, sports-filled lives.

Bao Lee, of Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, has a heart health story rooted in family. Her mother works at Abbott on the team that built the Amplatzer Septal Occluder that was implanted in Bao to help treat an atrial septal defect (ASD). After undergoing the treatment, Lee got her health back and grew her family to five wonderful children.

Ashley Greiner, an attorney and athlete from Elbridge, N.Y., found herself dealing with exhaustion and swollen feet at age 35. An emergency room visit resulted in a diagnosis of heart failure. In 2017, she received the CardioMEMS HF System, and since then Ashley has been able to put back together a new life for herself, including running a support group for others impacted by heart issues, traveling and speaking courageously about her journey.

Joe Maniaci, of Macomb, Mich., was a freshman at the University of Michigan when he started experiencing chronic fatigue so severe it impacted his grades. People around him said it must be a cold or just too many first-year hijinks, but a checkup turned into a nine-day hospital stay and diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Maniaci received a HeartMate II LVAD and went on to earn a master’s degree in 2020 before starting medical school. He now works as a clinical research coordinator at Henry Ford Health System and is an active patient ambassador for people considering or new to LVAD therapy.

Lynda Marino is a wife and mother of two from East Amherst, N.Y., who experienced cardiac arrest while driving on a busy highway in 2017 and was saved by complete strangers who performed CPR until assistance arrived. After numerous surgeries and procedures, she received Abbott’s AVEIR DR dual chamber leadless pacemaker system in 2023 and is back to living a busy life.

For Jessica Lertzman, of Center Valley, Penn., heart health carries twice the significance: She and her twin sister both have overcome heart rhythm conditions in order to be where they are today. Now with an Abbott Gallant CRT-D device, this mother and busy fourth-grade teacher (who has incorporated Hamlin into some of her lessons) has drawn on her experience to be an advocate for the HeartMates program.

Tom Hulsey, of Dallas, will be the first to tell you that having three life-threatening illnesses has given him a wonderful perspective on life and a purpose. Hulsey shares his inspiring story — a journey that has included coronary artery disease and arrhythmia — as a reminder that cardiovascular disease can still impact you even if you compete in the Iron Man World Championship.

Former weightlifter Tara Benoit, an executive recruiter from Windham, N.H., began her comeback story after suffering a spontaneous coronary artery dissection after a case of COVID-19. Now, she’s managing her condition while getting back to yoga, walking and being a working mom to two football-loving sons.

Olivea Hannah, an 11-year-old from Austin, Texas, and the recent recipient of a heart transplant, has a talent for lifting up others with the friendship bracelets she makes. A few of those bracelets made their way to HeartMates program ambassador Damar Hamlin, who has been a source of inspiration for Olivea, as well as a friend.

To learn more about the program and find out how you can join the team, too, visit our Abbott HeartMates page.

Important Safety Information

AMPLATZER™ SEPTAL OCCLUDER AND DELIVERY SYSTEM

Rx Only

INDICATION FOR USE

The AMPLATZER™ Septal Occluder is a percutaneous, transcatheter, atrial septal defect closure device intended for the occlusion of atrial septal defects (ASD) in secundum position or patients who have undergone a fenestrated Fontan procedure and who now require closure of the fenestration. Patients indicated for ASD closure have echocardiographic evidence of ostium secundum atrial septal defect and clinical evidence of right ventricular volume overload (such as, 1.5:1 degree of left-to-right shunt or RV enlargement).

CONTRAINDICATIONS

The AMPLATZER™ Septal Occluder is contraindicated for the following:

  • Any patient known to have extensive congenital cardiac anomaly which can only be adequately repaired by way of cardiac surgery.
  • Any patient known to have sepsis within 1 month prior to implantation, or any systemic infection that cannot be successfully treated prior to device placement.
  • Any patient known to have a bleeding disorder, untreated ulcer, or any other contraindications to aspirin therapy, unless another antiplatelet agent can be administered for 6 months.
  • Any patient known to have a demonstrated intracardiac thrombi on echocardiography (especially left atrial or left atrial appendage thrombi).
  • Any patient whose size (such as, too small for transesophageal echocardiography probe, catheter size) or condition (active infection, etc.) would cause the patient to be a poor candidate for cardiac catheterization.
  • Any patient where the margins of the defect are less than 5 mm to the coronary sinus, inferior vena cava rim, AV valves, or right upper lobe pulmonary vein.

WARNINGS

  • Physicians must be prepared to deal with urgent situations, such as device embolization, which require removal of the device. This includes the availability of an on-site surgeon.
  • Embolized devices must be removed as they may disrupt critical cardiac functions. Embolized devices should not be withdrawn through intracardiac structures unless they have been adequately collapsed within the sheath.
  • Use on or before the expiration date noted on the product packaging.
  • This device is sterilized using ethylene oxide and is for single use only. Do not reuse or resterilize. Attempts to resterilize the device may result in device malfunction, inadequate sterilization, or patient harm.
  • Do not use the device if the packaging sterile barrier is open or damaged.
  • Do not release the AMPLATZER™ Septal Occluder from the delivery cable if the device does not conform to its original configuration, or if the device position is unstable or if the device interferes with any adjacent cardiac structure (such as Superior Vena Cava (SVC), Pulmonary Vein (PV), Mitral Valve (MV), Coronary Sinus (CS), aorta (AO)). Recapture the device and redeploy. If still unsatisfactory, recapture the device and either replace with a new device or refer the patient for alternative treatment.
  • Implantation of this device may not supplant the need for Coumadin™ in patients with ASD and paradoxical emboli.
  • The use of echocardiographic imaging (TTE, TEE, or ICE) is required.
  • Balloon sizing should be used to size the atrial septal defect using a stop-flow technique. Do not inflate the balloon beyond the cessation of the shunt (such as, stop-flow). DO NOT OVERINFLATE.
  • Patients with a retro-aortic rim of less than 5 mm in any echocardiographic plane, or patients in whom the device physically impinges on (i.e. indents or distorts) the aortic root, may be at increased risk of erosion.
  • Do not select a device size greater than 1.5 times the echocardiographic-derived ASD diameter prior to balloon sizing.

PRECAUTIONS

  • The use of this device has not been studied in patients with patent foramen ovale.
  • Use standard interventional cardiac catheterization techniques to place this device.
  • Placement of the AMPLATZER™ Septal Occluder may impact future cardiac interventions, for example transeptal puncture and mitral valve repair.
  • This device contains nickel-titanium alloy, which is generally considered safe. However, in vitro testing has demonstrated that nickel is released from this device for a minimum of 60 days. Patients who are allergic to nickel may have an allergic reaction to this device, especially those with a history of metal allergies. Certain allergic reactions can be serious; patients should be instructed to seek medical assistance immediately if they suspect they are experiencing an allergic reaction. Symptoms may include difficulty in breathing or swelling of the face or throat. While data is currently limited, it is possible that some patients may develop an allergy to nickel if this device is implanted.

MR Conditional to 3.0 Tesla

Caution should be used if an MRI is performed with a magnetic field of >3.0 tesla. Through non-clinical testing, the AMPLATZER™ device has been known to be MR Conditional at field strengths of 3.0 tesla or less with a maximum whole-body-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) of 3.83 W/kg at 1.5 tesla and 5.57 W/kg at 5.0 tesla for a 20-minute exposure to a B1 of 118 μT. The AMPLATZER™ device should not migrate in this MR environment. Non-clinical testing has not been performed to rule out the possibility of migration at field strengths higher than 3.0 tesla. In this testing, the device produced a temperature rise of 1.1°C at 1.5 tesla and 1.6°C at 5.0 tesla. MR image quality may be compromised if the area of interest is in the exact same area or relatively close to the position of the device.

POTENTIAL ADVERSE EVENTS

Potential adverse events may occur during or after a procedure placing this device may include, but are not limited to:

Air embolus; Allergic dye reaction; Anesthesia reactions; Apnea; Arrhythmia; Cardiac tamponade; Death; Embolization; Fever; Hypertension/ hypotension; Infection including endocarditis; Need for surgery; Pericardial effusion; Perforation of vessel or myocardium; Pseudoaneurysm including blood loss requiring transfusion; Stroke; Tissue erosion; Thrombus formation on discs; Valvular regurgitation.

 

AMPLATZER™ TALISMAN™ PFO OCCLUDER

 

Rx Only

 

Indications for Use

The AMPLATZER™ PFO Occluder is indicated for percutaneous transcatheter closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) to reduce the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients, predominantly between the ages of 18 and 60 years, who have had a cryptogenic stroke due to a presumed paradoxical embolism, as determined by a neurologist and cardiologist following an evaluation to exclude known causes of ischemic stroke.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 

Patients with intra-cardiac mass, vegetation, tumor or thrombus at the intended site of implant, or documented evidence of venous thrombus in the vessels through which access to the PFO is gained; Patients whose vasculature, through which access to the PFO is gained, is inadequate to accommodate the appropriate sheath size; Patients with anatomy in which the AMPLATZER™ PFO device size required would interfere with other intracardiac or intravascular structures, such as valves or pulmonary veins; Patients with other source of right-to-left shunts, including an atrial septal defect and/or fenestrated septum; Patients with active endocarditis or other untreated infections

 

POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS AND ADVERSE EVENTS

Potential adverse events that may occur during or after a procedure using this device may include, but are not limited to: Air embolus; Allergic drug reaction; Allergic dye reaction; Allergic metal reaction: Nitinol (nickel, titanium), platinum/iridium, stainless steel (chromium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel); Anesthesia reactions; Apnea; Arrhythmia; Bacterial endocarditis; Bleeding; Brachial plexus injury; Cardiac perforation; Cardiac tamponade; Cardiac thrombus; Chest pain; Device embolization; Device erosion; Deep vein thrombosis; Death; Endocarditis; Esophagus injury; Fever; Headache/migraine; Hypertension/hypotension; Myocardial infarction; Pacemaker placement secondary to PFO device closure; Palpitations; Pericardial effusion; Pericardial tamponade; Pericarditis; Peripheral embolism; Pleural effusion; Pulmonary embolism; Reintervention for residual shunt/device removal; Sepsis; Stroke; Transient ischemic attack; Thrombus; Valvular regurgitation; Vascular access site injury; Vessel perforation.

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