A North Texas teen got to experience something similar to the NFL draft thanks to a global healthcare company.
Ezekiel "Zeke" Mankins has beat the odds in more ways than one. While he has excelled in track, is an accomplished trombonist, and is an aspiring pilot, life has been a comeback story of the young teen.
When he was just 12, he had open heart surgery and had an Abbott Masters mechanical heart valve placed in his body to repair a leaking mitral valve. He is now thriving and was allowed to meet some NFL stars in Abbott's HeartMates Team draft.
A week before the NFL draft, Abbott held their own "draft" day experience for those in their HeartMates program. Professional football player and heart health advocate Damar Hamlin and Tedy Bruschi, a three-time pro league champion, recognized Mankins and others who have made a major comeback from their cardiovascular conditions.
Hamlin and Bruschi know a thing or two about comebacks - as well as the importance of heart health and having support from a team. When Hamlin experienced a cardiac event during a game in 2023, his teammates, family, and medical team had his back like true MVPs. In 2005, Bruschi experienced a stroke caused by a hole in his heart.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
"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 their 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."
Mankins said while he is succeeding now, he is also excited for his future, where he hopes to become a pilot.
