The celebration kicked off at the New York Stock Exchange, where draftees joined Hamlin and cardiovascular experts from Abbott on the trading-floor podium to ring the iconic opening bell. Later in the day, HeartMates and their guests, along with Abbott employees and media, gathered at a special venue for a one-of-a-kind event that captured the excitement and ceremony of a professional sports draft.
Hamlin and Bruschi introduced each Heartmate from the stage, telling the story of how they discovered their heart condition and what it took for them to make their comeback. In practically every case, the support and sense of community each person received from their team of family members, friends and medical professionals were significant factors in spurring their recovery.
After being recognized onstage, each HeartMate received a personalized team jersey and signed a contract in which they committed to inspiring others with their stories.
“Our HeartMates reflect a broad scope of the population impacted by cardio conditions,” said Nadim Geloo, M.D., senior director of medical affairs in Abbott’s Structural Heart business. “We have HeartMates who are experiencing heart failure and are on the list to receive a heart transplant, those who were born with holes in their hearts that didn’t close on the own, and people from many backgrounds and age ranges. Their stories offer hope and solidarity to so many people around the country and the world.”
The inaugural Abbott HeartMates team includes the following heart-health champions.
Michael Brafi, a college football player from Woodbury, N.Y., experienced sudden cardiac arrest similar to Hamlin but caused by a previously undiagnosed heart defect. Brafi met Hamlin at a HeartMates event at his hospital, and the two bonded over their shared experience.
Lakeisha Brown, a wife and mother of four daughters and owner of a catering business in Houston, started experiencing discomfort in her chest in 2018. After seeing several doctors and receiving a pacemaker defibrillator, her condition continued to deteriorate into heart failure. Brown received a HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) and is now back to living her life to the fullest.
Tony Daly, aka “Little Tony,” lives in Las Vegas. As a premature infant born at 26 weeks and six days, he was the first person to receive Abbott’s Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder to close a hole in his heart. Thanks to this life-saving procedure, Daly is now thriving and loves tennis, soccer and excels at school.
Chris Donges of Wilmington, Del., experienced heart failure when he was 30 years old. After a prolonged hospital stay that included a medically induced coma, he received a HeartMate 3 LVAD. Donges will be marrying his long-time fiancé Meghan in October, whom he was dating at the time, and the couple has two young children.
Brody Lambert, a father of four with his own construction company and a small farm in Provo, Utah, has overcome several conditions, undergone a heart transplant and has a HeartMate II LVAD. Most recently, Lambert was enrolled in the clinical trial for the TriClip G4 system, Abbott’s minimally invasive device for repairing leaky tricuspid valves, which was approved by the FDA in early April.
MacKenzie Maddry has overcome a lot in her 17 years. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 14, Maddry underwent 21 cycles of chemotherapy. This intense treatment, coupled with multiple surgeries and infections, put her cancer in remission but led to heart failure. Maddry received a HeartMate 3 LVAD device in 2022 and was the first pediatric patient discharged from her hospital with an LVAD. She has since returned to her high school studies in Bella Vista, Ark., had another leg reconstruction surgery and is looking forward to being listed for a heart transplant.
Ezekiel “Zeke” Mankins was first Abbott HeartMates draftee and was featured on NBC Nightly News. At age 12 Mankins had open heart surgery and received an Abbott Masters mechanical heart valve to repair a leaking mitral valve, and he’s now a star on his high school track team in Midlothian, Texas. He is also an accomplished trombonist and aspiring pilot.
Alicia Nicoletti was in a car accident at age 22 that severely injured her heart and eventually lead to heart failure. In 2021, Nicoletti was implanted with the CardioMEMS HF System that allows her medical team to remotely monitor her pulmonary artery pressure and intervene if necessary. Now almost 20 years after her accident, Nicoletti is living in Wantagh, N.Y., successfully managing her heart failure and educating others about the condition.
Karen Pekowitz is a mother and teacher from Wellesley, Mass., who received her first pacemaker when she was just 19 years old. Earlier this year she became the first person in Massachusetts to receive an AVEIR DR, the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker system.
Leonardo Rodriguez grew up in New York City and enjoyed all it had to offer – but not always with heart health in mind. Rodriguez developed heart disease in his early 50s and received his first stent at age 54. Taking his doctor’s advice to heart, he immediately adopted healthier habits and has a new lease on life.
Seth Wharton of LaVale, Md., had his first heart surgery, necessary to treat his severe aortic stenosis, when he was just 1 month old. After a battery of additional operations and treatments, Wharton went on to become a college basketball player, a father of four and a Guinness World Record holder for the longest survivor of an artificial double heart valve replacement – both of which were Abbott valves.
About Abbott HeartMates
The Abbott HeartMates program celebrates the bravery in those with cardiovascular conditions, the teams of families, friends and caregivers who support them, and the heroes providing the medical care need to help people make their comeback. By creating a community in which members can share stories, connect with others going through similar heart-health journeys and receive emotional support, Abbott and program ambassador Damar Hamlin hope to inspire people and ensure that no one faces these health challenges alone. Rounding out the team is a lineup of Abbott cardio experts to provide knowledge and resources in language that’s easy to understand.
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