LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Fourteen-year-old Allison Hageman is not your average teenager. She was born with Pulmonary atresia and has undergone three open heart surgeries in her short life.
Pulmonary atresia is a congenital heart defect in which the valve orifice fails to develop. The valve is completely closed thereby obstructing the outflow of blood from the heart to the lungs.
While Allison remains upbeat about her condition, her mother says it's hard to explain how she felt when she learned her child had been born with such a dangerous heart defect.
"You go into emergency mode," says Dana Hageman. "They're telling you something is desperately wrong and they have to fix it. You go on whatever reserves you have."
February is American Heart Month and the Hagemans are hoping to bring awareness to the fact that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US.
"Heart disease is not picky, it's an equal opportunity killer," says Dana. "It affects children; some are born with it, some acquire heart disease as children and have to live with it forever and some acquire it as adults."
While Allison's condition was detected immediately, Dana encourages parents to get their child tested if they feel something is wrong.
"Push it and find the answers because a lot of heart defects go undetected."
Allison currently has a prosthetic value and will continue to have constant value replacements every 5-7 years.
You can learn much more about heart conditions and how American Heart Month by clicking here.