- My name is Adie Gerland, and this is my story.
Truncus arteriosus.
That was a congenital heart defect I was born with.
Most people in this world are born with four heart valves.
I was only born with three.
My journey into this world wasn't always the smoothest,
but my story doesn't end there.
(cell phone buzzing)
My parents didn't know that I was born
with a congenital heart defect until birth.
I had my first open heart surgery at one month,
my second at seven months,
my third at two and a half years,
and my fourth at 10 years old,
I have artificial stents and valves
in my pulmonary artery that keeps my blood pumping.
My heart is a special kind of heart
and it has to work twice as hard to pump blood
and makes it very difficult to run around
and even play the sports I love.
Some of the challenges I faced with truncus arteriosus
isn't just physical but it's also
emotionally difficult for me.
Feeling different from my friends is always hard.
I started getting the question of
what was wrong with my voice.
My voice is different than other people's
because I've had so many breathing tubes go down my throat.
A lot of little kids would ask me,
"Why is your voice so scratchy? Are you sick?"
And that's kind of when I had to
tell them I had four open heart surgeries.
I remember the night before one of my surgeries,
I finished showering and I laid down in the hotel bed
and I just felt tears roll down my face.
My mom asked me if I was okay and I didn't know what to say.
I was nervous I wasn't going to see my family again.
That's the scariest part of heart diseases.
Not knowing if you're going to see your family again.
I just have in the back of my mind,
I do have to have another open heart surgery in a few years,
but I know that I've been through four of them,
which means I can go through five of them.
I think having a heart condition
has made me the strongest person I can be.
I inspire not just my family, but I inspire a lot of people.
And that's what pushes me.
I know that tomorrow is never guaranteed.
And that's why each morning when I wake up,
I live it harder than I did the day before.
(clapping and cheering)
What I want people to know about
the American Heart Association
is that they're more than a nonprofit
that does research to find ways
to keep us alive and healthy.
They're a champion for health equity,
and fight for kids and adults to give them
their best chance of a long and healthy life.
They do this by raising funds and awareness
for things like congenital heart defects, nutrition,
security, CPR, training, and mental wellbeing,
as we work to end heart disease and stroke,
I use my voice to advocate for others
because I know what it's been like to be put down.
And I also know what it's been like
to have someone stand next to me and stick up for me.
So that's why I use my voice to stand up for other people.
I want to follow my footsteps and be a heart surgeon
because I've lived the life, I've been there.
And I know what it's like.
I have learned that you can't wait for a challenge to arrive
before you start living your life.
So I'm going to live my life.
The American Heart Association helped to save my life.
And now it's your turn to save lives.
The best part you can do it right from your phone.
If you have it, go ahead and grab it.
The first thing I want you to do is
download the app on your phone
by searching American Heart Challenge
in the App Store or Google Play Store.
Once you have the app downloaded,
go ahead and click "Register."
Now you'll find your school
by typing your school's name and selecting, "Sign Up."
Go ahead and click, "No, I'm New"
Next you'll set your fundraising goal
and create your profile.
This will take you a minute.
So feel free to take some time here.
You'll need your username and password later,
so you may want to write it down.
Make your password something you will remember.
Now reopen the American Heart Challenge app
on your phone and log in.
Now it's time to ask your family
for donations to support you.
Complete Finn's Mission by personalizing your page
and sending text messages or emails
and posting on social media.
And the best part?
Everything's already written for you.
Congrats. You are officially ready to make a difference.