New parents Debra and Zak Jarabat were overjoyed by the birth of their first child, Noah, a beautiful baby boy born with all his tiny fingers and toes perfectly formed, and his every breath a precious moment for his adoring parents. However, within days of bringing Noah home,…
Latasha Aiken had always dreamed of being a mom. When a life-threatening heart condition almost took that away from her, she was heartbroken. Aiken, 41, started experiencing cold and flu-like symptoms in 2017, which she soon found out was caused by congestive heart failure. She went to multiple doctors…
At 49 years old, Will Manser thought he was invincible. One day, in June 2019, Manser was driving to Lake City to drop his son off at school. He stopped for some breakfast and then was on the road to work. Four days later, he woke up in UF…
Roseann Vitassa is a retired international art dealer living with severe atrial fibrillation, or AFib. It means she has an irregular heartbeat that could lead to a blood clot, stroke and even heart failure. Vitassa’s heart journey started when she went to a hospital in New Port Richey…
When delivery driver Cuthbert Allen was in Neptune Beach enjoying his hobby of remodeling homes and heard a pop in his chest, he didn’t know his journey to a healthy heart was just getting started. Allen bent down to lift two boxes of flooring when he heard the…
Annette Powell had always been an athlete. She was a collegiate basketball player with no prior health concerns. So in 2007, at age 43, this Ocala high school dean was concerned when she experienced an attack of shortness of breath, dizziness and heart palpitations that stopped her in her…
It was just like any other day for Nancy Iafrate. The sun was shining as she enjoyed quality time in Gainesville with her family and played with her two young grandkids. Smiles, laughter and joy were contagious during the play date as hours flew by like minutes. As…
By Leah Harms Al Johnson has lived in Georgia for most of his life. After owning a successful auto repair shop in the area for 20 years, he had to retire his business right next door due to his unexpected health issues. This was crushing to him after building…
By Alisha Katz Heather Lowery’s parents were told that she would likely not live to be 3 months old. At 36, Heather has proved them wrong and has set an example for adults living with congenital heart disease. At 8 months pregnant, Heather’s mother learned from physicians that Heather’s…
By Bill Levesque The boy’s heart was dying. And no one could save it. Karen Reyes said a prayer as she sat beside her son, Andy Herrera, a few weeks after his heart surgery. Her boisterous 12-year-old with the outsized personality unsettled her in his stillness. “Andy, Mommy’s with…
