During her six-week postpartum visit after the birth of her first child in 2002, Sonya Adams’ OB-GYN detected a heart murmur and referred her to a cardiologist. At 31 years old and with little knowledge of her family’s heart history, Sonya was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart condition in which the aortic valve has two flaps instead of three. She went on to have a second child and was monitored annually, adding medication to her care plan after her children were born.

In late 2018, Sonya, who lives in Bakersfield, Calif., began experiencing persistent fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and heart palpitations. At the time, she was balancing an intense full-time job with a part-time graduate program and internship, and she assumed the symptoms were stress-related.

Like his fellow 2026 draftee Sonya, Ed, of Douglas, Mass., was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. Over time, blood flowed backward through the valve, causing his aorta and a heart chamber to enlarge. By age 16, doctors told him he needed open‑heart surgery to prevent a potentially life‑threatening rupture.

Ed received an Abbott Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve in 2005, and thus began a remarkable comeback journey. 

“Growing up, I watched the Boston Marathon almost every year with my dad,” he says. “After my surgery, I made the promise to him that one day I would run the marathon myself.”

Ed’s father passed away in 2011, but the promise lived on. Ed started marathon training in 2017 and went on to be the first runner with an artificial heart valve to complete the original six Abbott World Marathon Majors, finishing the series in Boston in honor of his dad. And just last year he ran Sydney, the latest marathon to join the AWMM, as part of Team Abbott, a community of runners who are determined to inspire others by showcasing how they’ve overcome health challenges.

“I find so much joy in being inspired by other runners, and just as much in inspiring others,” he says. “I was on the course in Berlin when Eliud Kipchoge set the world record for the fastest marathon. Just one week later, in London, I set the Guiness World Record for the fastest marathon run with an artificial heart valve. This record inspired others to push their limits and break my original time.”

Ed’s inspirational qualities aren’t lost on his wife, caregiver and biggest supporter, Shani, who has completed a number of half-marathons.

And after 13 marathons, Ed has his sights set on Cape Town and Shanghai, both candidate races to join the AWMM series as well.

When reflecting on your heart health journey, what are you most proud of? 

Showing the world what is possible!

Ever since joining the high school cross country team, Rob has spent much of his life in running shoes. Yet despite the active lifestyle, the Connecticut native and current New Yorker felt something wasn’t quite right. “Starting in 2006, I'd have strange episodes a few times a year, typically when exercising, where my heart rate would spike and stop me in my tracks,” he says.

Rob ran his first marathon in 2015 and committed to running the Abbott World Marathon Majors a couple years later in honor of his dad, who was diagnosed with cancer. Rob kept crossing finish lines, but his “episodes” became more and more difficult to brush aside. 

In 2024, Rob received a preliminary diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a type of arrhythmia that affects the heart’s upper chambers, and started wearing a Holter monitor to track his heart rate. The following year, his healthcare team recommended he receive Abbott’s Assert-IQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor, a small device with sensors inserted just under the skin of the chest designed to continuously monitor heart rhythm over time to help detect and identify arrhythmias.

With a clearer understanding of Rob’s condition, earlier this year his healthcare team performed an ablation to correct what was ultimately diagnosed as a type of SVT known as an AVNRT. 

Now Rob can focus all his attention on his two passions: marathons (he currently has 38 under his belt and is an active member of Team Abbott) and giving back to his fellow New Yorkers. As cofounder and president of the Bronx Burners Run Club, Rob has helped raise roughly $400,000 for programming and scholarships benefiting the Bronx community.  

What is one way you empower yourself? 

Constantly pursuing the best version of myself and still chasing my best at 38 years old. I plan to run a lifetime best marathon this year: under 2:50 in Chicago.

In 2006, David was a healthy 39-year-old with a wife, three young children and a career as a physical therapist. Then, without warning or having any known risk factors, he experienced an ischemic stroke caused by an obstruction to the blood supply to his brain.

When it was finally discovered he had a patent foramen ovale (PFO),  an opening between the right and left sides of the upper chambers of the heart, he eventually received Abbott’s Amplatzer Septal Occluder device to repair it. David went on to become a stroke patient advocate, testifying before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, running a marathon with Abbott HeartMates ambassador Tedy Bruschi’s stroke awareness organization Tedy’s Team and cohosting the Know Stroke podcast. 

“I often share with other survivors that every stroke survivor has a story,” David says. “Mine included trying to set effective and creative rehab goals after my stroke, all the while balancing real life as a husband and father. My interest today is sharing a playbook for better recovery pathways based on my lived experiences and helping those in need keep the faith.”

Next up for David: finishing his latest book, “Closure After Stroke,” which will lay out the lessons he learned in recovery and amplify the message that life can be better after surviving a stroke — if one has faith and an action plan.

Who’s on your caregiver team and has your back every day?

Stroke affects an entire family, and ongoing support is vital. My wife, Lisa, is my stroke hero and the love of my life. She is without a doubt our MVP goaltender that blocks all the tough shots in life and keeps our team balanced, along with our children, Ally, Jake and Jared. And I’m forever grateful for the support of my sisters, Sue and Lori.

Emma’s story boggles the imagination, and it began shortly after she was born and doctors discovered she had an extraordinarily rare congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) that disrupted the blood flow from her heart to her legs.

While her tiny body created collateral arteries in utero to circulate blood to her legs, it was not enough to keep her going. Doctors proceeded with an experimental abdominal aortic iliac (AAI) bypass surgery inserting a graft in her abdominal aorta when Emma was just one month old. 

Her condition was stable until she was at university, when severe leg pain revealed that her graft was blocked and her blood was circulating at 50% capacity through her collateral arteries. A second AAI bypass operation and graft followed, but the complications continued.

Her career as a paralegal became unsustainable, and she needed a job that would allow her to continue her rehabilitation. So she became a certified yoga and meditation teacher and an integrative health coach, helping others — and herself — through breath work, healing movements and holistic lifestyle practices.

The ensuing years brought more surgeries, significant time in the hospital and a third AAI bypass. The third graft partially failed shortly after the operation, and Emma is currently at 50% flow, relying on a self-rehabilitation regimen to create more collateral arteries.

Although Emma lives with impaired blood flow, pain and chronic fatigue, this hasn’t stopped her from sharing her story and supporting others through a community group she created in 2020: the Misfit Cardiovascular Health Club. She’s even a soccer coach at the hometown club she played at when she was a child.

“My goal is to write a book give back to the community in all the ways I can with the capacity I have,” says Emma, who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. “I want to keep living with purpose, doing my part to raise awareness, inspire, teach and learn.”

When reflecting on your heart health journey, what are you most proud of? 

My physical, mental and emotional resilience, my dedication to self-rehab and cultivating a mindset of “creating circumstances” and believing in everyday miracles. These things have allowed me to keep persevering against all odds and contribute and connect with the cardiovascular health community with vulnerability, authenticity and purpose.

“On Easter Sunday 2024, I had a heart attack while driving home from my kid’s house, only I didn’t recognize it as a heart attack because the pain was in my back. I made it home, went to bed and then woke up in a hospital a week later.”

That’s how Ed, who is now 69 and lives just outside Dallas, describes the start of his cardio comeback story. And while his telling might not come across as particularly sentimental, his personality reveals a man with one of the kindest dispositions you’ll find in the Lone Star State. 

Ed’s heart attack led to additional complications and eventually heart failure, and about three months later he received Abbott’s HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Now retired from road construction, Ed and his wife, Nora (his “caregiver extraordinaire”), are committed to living their best lives.

“Nora and I decided that the best way to succeed on my heart journey with the LVAD was to say ‘Yes’ to everything, and I’m happy we have stuck to our commitment,” he says. “I go to the local senior center three or four days a week to work out and do crafts. We do hospice volunteering one day a week, and we garden during the summer.”

Ed’s crafting includes taking sewing lessons, a skill he’s applied to giving back to others managing heart failure. “I modified my own overalls with pouches for the LVAD controller and batteries,” he says. “I took what I learned and made battery pouches that fit on a belt. I’ve made quite a few pairs for my fellow VAD warriors, and I’m also sewing quilts for my grandchildren’s birthdays.”

Now that’s quite a grandpa.

What is one way you empower yourself?

We have always kept a positive attitude about our cardio journey. 

Adam was an active child in Bakersfield, Calif., when he started noticing an unusual shortness of breath during hockey practice. What seemed manageable quickly turned urgent.

Within days of flu‑like symptoms and extreme fatigue, testing revealed that Adam’s heart was severely enlarged and failing. He was rushed to Stanford Children’s Hospital, where doctors faced a stark reality: Without immediate intervention, Adam might not survive.

In May 2022, Adam received Abbott’s HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a mechanical pump that took over the work his heart could no longer do. He lived with the HeartMate 3 for a little over a year, returning to school, traveling and experiencing milestones many people with heart failure are never guaranteed.

Then in June 2023, Adam became a candidate for an innovative clinical trial. Surgeons removed the LVAD and implanted a titanium plug, allowing his heart to function independently once more.

But heart disease is rarely linear. By the fall, Adam’s condition declined rapidly. He required VA‑ECMO (also referred to as extracorporeal life support) and, while waiting for a donor heart, had a stroke. Four days later, Adam received a heart transplant.

His recovery has been long and demanding, marked by intensive rehabilitation and perseverance. With the help of his parents, Travis and Soleil, and siblings Lucas and Emily, Adam is now back to playing hockey as a high school junior and helping raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.

“I empower myself by focusing on what I can control instead of what I cannot control, and by having faith,” he says.

What's the next milestone for you? 

Getting into a good university — hopefully Stanford — to pursue biomedical engineering. I’d also like to continue playing hockey. 

Just six days after turning 4, DeLainee experienced sudden cardiac arrest while playing with her sister in the yard. Thankfully her mom, Kerri, was nearby and started performing CPR while a neighbor called 911.

This quick action helped save little DeLainee’s life.

DeLainee spent about a month in the pediatric intensive care unit, where she was diagnosed with Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT), a rare congenital arrhythmia that can cause irregular heart rhythms during periods of stress or exercise. During this time, she underwent three surgeries and received two implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to help monitor and maintain her heartbeat. 

That’s an awful lot for a little girl, but DeLainee — now 18 and a senior in high school in Suffolk, Va. — had two caring parents by her side through it all.

“My mom and dad are my support system,” she says. “Mom makes all my appointments and asks all the important questions, and Dad drives me to each appointment and anywhere else I want to go.”

When DeLainee was about to be discharged, her care team recommended she get a pillow to put between her seatbelt and the surgical incision area. Kerri made one for her, and as DeLainee got older, the two realized this was a practical way to offer support to other pediatric cardiac patients. So they started Pillows 4 Patients, and to date have made and distributed more than 1,250 pillows to hospitals in four states.

The ensuing years did bring more surgeries, but DeLainee’s spirit never dimmed. She now enjoys watching baseball, volunteering at her church and challenging herself with puzzles. She also recently registered Pillows 4 Patients as a nonprofit and looks forward to providing more comfort to those who need it most.

What's the next milestone for you? 

Now that Pillows 4 Patients is an official nonprofit, I want to bring pillows to pediatric patients in every state. I also want to learn how to drive, since my treatment kept me from getting my license at 16.

In 2018, Marlon Qualls Jr. was a high school student still learning how to live with grief after losing his beloved grandmother 16 months earlier. What he didn’t know was that his heart was quietly carrying that loss too. He began experiencing heart palpitations at rest, during class and even while sleeping, along with chest pain, shortness of breath and dizziness.

Unsure of the danger, he told no one.

Everything changed when his heart suddenly raced out of control. Sweating, struggling to breathe and in pain, Marlon was rushed to the hospital. His heart rate climbed to 190 beats per minute. Doctors later told him the timing of his arrival likely saved his life.

Several rounds of increasingly specialized tests revealed five nerve blockages affecting Marlon’s heart. He received a cardiac catheterization and was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy — often called broken heart syndrome — a temporary condition triggered by emotional stress, grief and depression.

Recovery forced Marlon to slow down, listen to his body and prioritize his own mental health. What began as a private medical crisis became a defining moment that reshaped how he lived, spoke and showed up for himself.

Today, Marlon, 26, lives in Memphis, Tenn., has more than a few acting credits to his name and is using his voice to raise awareness about processing grief, emotional trauma and mental health, particularly among men of color. He’s also in the final stages of publishing his first book that details his struggles, recovery and healing.

“I’m proud that I’ve always kept going despite the fear I faced,” he says. “I’m still here, still building and still speaking up to break the silence.”

What is one way you empower yourself? 

I show up for myself and for my community.

In 2023, Ebonie’s life changed in an instant. The multisport high school senior had just completed her first track practice of the season when she began to feel unwell. Moments later, she collapsed without warning nor the classic symptoms of cardiac distress.

Thanks to the swift actions of Ebonie’s trainers and their knowledge of CPR and AEDs, paramedics were able to revive her more than 35 minutes later. 

Within hours, Ebonie found herself quickly transferred through three hospitals as doctors worked to understand what had happened. The answer: She’d had a rare and devastating “window-maker” heart attack that caused significant damage to her heart muscle. The only option was an emergency heart transplant.

Less than two weeks after she collapsed, Ebonie received the heart she needed. “I was blessed to receive the gift of life from a family who made the difficult decision to let their loved one go and donate their organs,” she says. “I am so very thankful because now I have another chance to live my life.”

Ebonie’s mother, Beverly, stayed by her side through it all and became her everything: caregiver, advocate and emotional anchor throughout months of healing. “She has always been my best friend and has always had my back,” Ebonie says.

Today, Ebonie is 21, living in Dayton, Ohio, and redefining what strength looks like. She has returned to the track not as an athlete, but as a coach, guiding high school and middle school runners while continuing her own recovery. She is also completing an associate degree in social work and plans to continue her education.

What is one way you empower yourself? 

By setting clear goals and consistently showing up for them, even on days when I don’t feel motivated. 

Jeremy’s heart journey began suddenly in 2000 when he developed endocarditis, a dangerous cardiac inflammation that caught the accomplished endurance athlete and sixth‑degree black belt totally off-guard. His doctors soon discovered an underlying congenital heart defect that made him especially vulnerable to the condition, and he underwent open‑heart surgery and received a tissue valve that his care team told him should last up to 10 years.

Seven years later, his health unraveled again. As the valve failed, Jeremy slipped into congestive heart failure, gaining more than 40 pounds of fluid as his heart and other organs struggled to function. He spent six weeks fighting for stability as his care team worked urgently to strengthen his body enough to determine whether he could survive another surgery or would need a heart transplant.

Thankfully, doctors were able to perform a second open‑heart surgery to replace the failing valve with an Abbott Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve and make additional cardiac repairs. His recovery was complicated by a collapsed lung, but Jeremy persevered over that obstacle as well.

“Even when I was in the hospital and was told the worst of the worst news, I still stayed optimistic and had a very positive attitude, which I know played a tremendous role in my postop recovery,” he says.

Today, that resilience defines his life. A trainer, running coach and speaker for more than 17 years, Jeremy channels his gratitude for movement into helping others push beyond their perceived limits.

What's the next milestone for you? 

Next up for me is the Boston Marathon. After that, I hope to run the New York Marathon and then participate in my third Ironman in Florida.