This year, I decided to honor my Heart Walk page to a dear friend, Carrie Lenoard. Please read her story below.

My name is Carrie Leonard.  I was born with unicuspid aortic stenosis, a congenital heart defect.  My “heart” journey is life long and cardiac research and the improvements made over the years have directly impacted my life for the better.  As a child, doctors always suggested I would have open heart surgery within a certain time frame. It hovered over me and always was truthfully, a fear of mine. I always knew it would eventually happen and never expected the surgery would be decades later. 

I was not allowed to play sports as a child.  This was not an uncommon practice during those years. At the age of 15, I was tired of watching my friends excel in their athletics so I started walking and then running-behind my parents’ backs. At my annual appointment, my cardiologist asked what I was doing differently.  I reluctantly told him I had been running.  My mother’s jaw dropped. The cardiologist said….”whatever you are doing…you are doing something right…keep it up.”  Thanks to medical research, we now know the heart is a muscle and yes, exercise is important.  To this day, I exercise every single day for the health of my heart. At the age of 20, a cardiologist told me I would likely never be able to have children. Today, I am blessed with 4 amazing healthy children.  My doctors were able to monitor my pregnancies closely. With their extra care and modern technology, I have the family I always dreamed of having. 

Throughout my journey, I have been blessed with the most incredible doctors and the most amazing family support.  Less than a year ago, the heart condition I’ve been monitoring my whole life and effectively "running from" caught up with me.  I was told it was time for a valve replacement.  In October, doctors performed the Ross Procedure. They replaced my aortic valve with my pulmonary valve and replaced my pulmonary valve with a cadaver valve,  I’ve been told my life expectancy is that of a healthy adult now. Incredible! My heart is full of gratitude for the people that saved my life and for those friends and family members who supported me in those emotional days and months leading up to the surgery and the months regaining my strength and health afterwards. 

I encourage everyone to exercise every day, find joy in the things that make you happy and support cardiac research!  It certainly saved my life and will undoubtedly save the lives of so many others.