As part of American Heart Month, a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) student's inspirational story is featured in the February edition of Woman's Day magazine.
Jessica Martinez is a biology student in her senior year at UAB. The 24-year-old has overcome a lifelong heart condition and three open-heart surgeries.
The Duluth, Ga. native is among the women included in this month's Woman's Day who have survived heart disease. In the article, she explains the physical and emotional toll of undergoing three separate open-heart surgeries.
According to UAB, Martinez' first two surgeries were performed before age two.
She was born with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot, an uncommon condition involving defects within the heart structures that result in oxygen-poor blood flowing out of the heart and into the body.
"I lived a relatively healthy and happy childhood," Martinez said. "When I was 13 doctors said that I could no longer play organized sports, but I really enjoyed a normal life until college."
When Martinez was a freshman, UAB doctors told Martinez that her pulmonary artery valve had to be replaced because it was too weak and put too much strain on her heart.
During the multiple and difficult surgeries that followed, Martinez survived collapsed lungs and an infection, but she now is living with a new pulmonary valve and an implanted heart defibrillator to manage her heart beat.
"My UAB doctors were amazing, and I would not be here today without them," Martinez said.
In the summer 2009, Martinez put her feelings of good fortune into action. She created her own Web page on the Larry King Cardiac Foundation Web site. She uses the page to raise both awareness and funds.
But her service to saving others with heart disease doesn't stop there.
"I am planning to become a pediatric cardiologist one day," Martinez said. "I feel stronger than ever, and I want to use my life experiences while treating other young patients who face what I have faced."
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is part of the same statewide education system as the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). Many UAB medical students complete their residency programs at the UAB Regional Medical Campus in Huntsville.
To visit Martinez' Web site, click here. You can also hear her talk about her heart disease by clicking on the video below. For information on American Heart Month events in Huntsville, visit your local American Heart Association's Web site by clicking here.
Women's Day Magazine Features UAB Biology Student's Story from uabnews on Vimeo.
Jessica Martines on surviving heart disease
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nice story
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