February is American Heart Month, set aside to raise awareness about heart disease and promote heart-healthy lifestyles.
Fort Worth ISD student Ramon Rodriguez Jr. is among those spreading the message. The American Heart Association chose him to be a local Heart Ambassador, gifting him a red Hero Cape and mask.
"It was like one of the best days I've had at school," Rodriguez Jr. said.
Rodriguez Jr. was born with a rare heart condition.
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"It's called Single Ventricle Hypoplastic Syndrome," Ramon's mom Nadia Aviles said. "They call it like a crisscross upside down heart."
Rodriguez Jr.'s heart condition means the right side of his heart works at about 50%. He has had 3 open heart surgeries. The first was when he was just 4 days old.
"It's not like everybody else's," Rodriguez Jr. said of his heart. But it is just like someone else he knows. "My dad, he also has a heart condition the same as mine."
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"If you have a child like this, don't think that it's the end of the world," Ramon Rodriguez Sr. said. "There's a new chapter."
A chapter where the patient gets to be the hero, spreading the message about heart health.
"It was so awesome! I did not expect him to be the Ambassador of the Heart Association," Rodriguez Sr. said beaming. "It made my day, you know. It was the greatest experience for me as a father."
"I'm very proud of him that he's able to speak and kind of give that awareness out to other kids," Aviles said. "Show them even though they may not have a heart condition, how to keep it healthy."
The Centers for Disease Control has a heart-healthy tool kit here.
