Emily Straley, 15, of Plainsboro is a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She recently participated in events in honor of National Wear Red Day for Women. Straley will serve as the survivor ambassador for the 2009 Greater Mercer County Start! Heart Walk in September.
“I’d like to spread a message to kids to start taking care of their hearts now to live long and health lives because they have a choice,” says Straley. “I didn’t.”
She also shared her story with the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders:
My name is Emily Straley and February is American Heart Month. The American Heart Association is urging everyone to take care of their hearts and there is no time like today. By eating better and exercising more, you are helping to reduce your chances of getting the number one leading cause of death of Americans — heart disease.
I am 15 years old and a sophomore at WW-P High School North. I was born premature with a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of fallot. At three months old, I had open heart surgery to correct my defect by repairing the VSD, repairing a valve, and grafting the narrow pulmonary arteries.
They also closed extra arteries that grew before I was born to compensate my heart for not getting enough oxygen to my lungs. Since then I have had many cardiac catheterizations to close those extra arteries with coils, and have had stents placed; one in each of my pulmonary arteries. Last August they placed a third stent to increase blood flow to my left lung. I have 12 pieces of metal in my body including five clips, four coils, and three stents.
I’m lucky because I can do almost anything except for contact sports and long distance running. I love to dance and have taken lessons since kindergarten. I am a Girl Scout currently working on my Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. During the summers, I volunteer to be a peer leader working with the extended school year program for students who need special services. I plan to be a history or special education teacher when I graduate from college. I love the beach, but my favorite thing to do is to see Broadway musicals in New York City.
If it wasn’t for my surgery and the catheterizations, I would not be here today to speak with you and enjoy all the things I’ve mentioned. I don’t remember my surgery, but I have learned to live with my scars. Sometimes I feel self conscious and cover it up, sometimes I don’t care what people think and I let it show.
It’s my zipper and I’m grateful and happy because I had the surgery and can enjoy life, but I have faced challenges because of my heart defect. From time to time, my peers would give me a hard time because I am not as good at sports as they are, I don’t run as fast, I don’t have the upper body strength to climb the rope, or I have to stop and catch my breath. This makes me feel different and sometimes sad.
I didn’t start out with a healthy heart and have to always remain conscious of eating right and exercise. It bothers me to see other kids who take their hearts for granted, many are overweight, don’t eat right, and do drugs or alcohol. I’d like to spread a message to kids to start taking care of their hearts now to live long and healthy lives, because they have a choice, I didn’t.
I would also like to urge parents to encourage their children to take a healthy lifestyle and to every adult to get checked and make healthy heart choices, so they can live longer and enjoy everything Mercer County, New Jersey has to offer.
So, in closing, I would like to thank you for helping to promote American Heart Month and encouraging Mercer County to become more heart-healthy.
