February is American Heart Month, a month set aside to raise awareness about heart disease and promote a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Ramon Rodriguez Jr., a Fort Worth ISD student, is among those spreading the message. The American Heart Association selected him as a local heart ambassador and presented him with a red hero cape and mask.

“It was like one of the best days I’ve had in school,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

Rodriguez Jr. was born with a rare heart disease.

“It’s called univentricular hypoplasia syndrome,” said Ramon’s mother, Nadia Aviles. “They call it like an upside-down heart on a cross.”

Rodriguez Jr.’s heart condition means the right side of his heart is functioning at about 50%. He has had three open heart surgeries. The first time was when she was 4 days old.

“It’s not like other people’s hearts,” Rodriguez Jr. said of his heart. But it’s like someone else he knows. “My father has the same heart disease as I do.”

“If you have a child like this, don’t think it’s the end of the world,” Ramon Rodriguez Sr. said. “A new chapter has begun.”

A chapter in which patients take center stage and spread the message about heart health.

“It was amazing! I never expected him to become an ambassador for the Heart Association,” Rodriguez Sr. said with a big smile. “It made my day. It was the best experience for me as a father.”

“I’m so proud of him being able to speak and being able to pass that awareness on to other kids,” Aviles said. “How can I stay healthy even if I don’t have heart disease?”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a heart-healthy tool kit here.