FUNDRAISING BEGINS THURSDAY (9/18/25)!!!!!
My name is Jennifer Mayadas-Dering, and I am a heart transplant survivor.
Five years ago, I was at my strongest. I was an athlete, a wife, a mother. I was training for a professional racquetball tournament, and health was my identity. I was in the best shape of my life and training for a professional racquetball tournament when I suddenly became ill. I was struggling to breath and even daily activities such as walking across the room left me gasping for air.
I went to the doctor 14 times. And 14 times, I was dismissed. I was told I just needed to lose weight. That it was hormones. That it was asthma. But I knew something was wrong. Deep down, I felt my body shutting down. The days that followed told a story of my declining health. I was in disbelief that as a high level athlete, my heart had less than 15% pumping capacity.
Finally, I demanded a chest X-ray. That was the moment everything changed. I was diagnosed with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy-a disease I had never even heard of. My doctor came to my room to deliver the news that without a heart transplant I would not survive.
Three weeks after being listed, I got the call: they had a heart for me. I prayed for the family facing unimaginable loss while silently thanking the person who was about to save my life.
After surgery, as I took my first steps with my new heart, I thought of my donor with every beat. I was able to see my youngest son graduate from high school and celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary because of the lifesaving measures taken.
I am so grateful and excited to be nominated for the American Heart Association's Leaders of Impact campaign. As part of this year's class of changemakers, I'm dedicated to making a lasting impact on the health of our community and hope that I can count on your support!
Despite many advances, cardiovascular disease is still the No. 1 killer in the US. I was lucky enough to get a heart transplant to save my life, but a transplant is a treatment, not a cure and to date, there is no cure for heart disease. As many family and friends have said to me over the past 4 years, if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. Heart disease has had a profound impact on my life and now I want to have an impact on the solutions.