We’re a work family, a collective group of individuals who have experiences and stories that have shaped us both personally and professionally. Freedom Consulting Group encourages and supports one another in sharing these experiences, to shed light on causes and organizations we feel passionately about and to create unity within the family that we have become. This is a story close to home, the journey of one of our own.

February is American Heart Month. For 28 days, well 29 this year being a Leap Year and all, our attention turns to heart health. Beating nearly 100,000 times a day, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men in the U.S., contributing to one in four deaths every year. But there’s good news. Heart disease is often preventable when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions.

In 2009 Regina T’s son, Noah, was a normal, healthy, rambunctious 10-year-old athlete who had just finished fifth grade when he caught a virus, a virus that was quick and severe and that ultimately left him in need of a heart transplant. While his teammates suited up for the first day of football practice, Noah remained on bed rest in the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit waiting for a donor.

“We were overwhelmed by the blessings of Noah’s medical team, and the support from our family and friends as we tried to comprehend all of the implications from his diagnosis,” Regina said. “The quality of life he’s had, despite the ongoing need for anti-rejection medications, is incredible.”

Now a senior, Noah will graduate this spring. Having played football all four years as his high school’s quarterback, Noah has also played lacrosse, which he plans on continuing in college.

Through the American Heart Association Noah’s had the opportunity to speak about the impact of research and technology on his and his family’s lives in front of hundreds of people at fundraisers and events. A passion for talking with kids about heart health, Noah is interested in pursing a career as a cardiologist so that he too can encourage young patients not to give up, especially when faced with insurmountable challenges and obstacles—sounds like a superhero to us.

Noah’s story is worth reading, and has been retold multiple times, once with Johns Hopkins, another with the Washington Post. He details his experiences and feelings in ways that make it difficult to remember that they’re coming from, at the time, just a boy. Now a young man, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Noah, and for all the people he’s sure to have a profound effect on as a result of his incredible journey.

So, here’s a challenge: Make a stride towards heart health by reducing your sodium intake and/or having your blood pressure checked before the month is up. Be at the pharmacy, doctor’s office or at home with a home monitoring device, take the time to make a heart-healthy decision, for you and for your family.

And congratulations to Noah for his commitment to play

Division III lacrosse at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia!