I have been pretty active and interested in Fitness since I was teen but when I found out about my heart condition in 2010, it really made me realize how important fitness is. Without being active my recovery would have been harder, it was a motivating factor, as well as the most effective technique to deal with the anxiety that came up from this situation. With the 6 major surgeries I had from May 2010-June 2011 I learned so many life lessons and found a huge passion for not just fitness but the health and wellness component of it as well.
  So in March 2010 I had a congenital heart defect called a "Coarctation of the Aorta"  by chance because I had Pnemonia and my heart "sounded weird". This defect means my aorta was too narrow in the descending portion going to my lower body. The doctor's attempted to put a stent in it but the first attempt in May 2010 tore my Iliac artery and they had to replace that. After a 4-6week recovery I went back to work, and we decided on attempting it again in August. During the second attempt in August 2010 they lost the stent in my abdomen and had to perform an emergency laparotomy to find and remove it.
My laparotomy scar august 2016 & August 2010 
During this surgery a line that was in my arm in order to monitor my blood pressure caused my brachial artery to collapse. So in January 2011 the doctors took a vein from my leg and replaced my brachial artery in my arm. Which is why I have a "no blood pressure cuff" tattoo above that scar now, because a blood pressure cuff could cause that artery to collapse again
Top-Nov 2017, bottom January 2010

Finally on June 22 2011 I had open heart surgery through my back to remove the piece of aorta that was too small and they replaced it with plastic!! It was successful and we had no complications. 8 weeks after the surgery I started and completed a cardiac rehabilitation program at the Glenrose hospital here in Edmonton and 18 weeks post op I started playing soccer again. I am eternally grateful to everyone who helped me along my heart journey and that I have been able to recover so well and am still here. This has been a driving force in my motivation to become a Personal Trainer and help others become, stay and continue to be healthy. For me being active and healthy is a way of life and if I can help others bring some of that into theirs then I am happy. 

My thoracotomy scar left June 30th, Right August 2014