Emily Falcon
Emily Falcon was born in 1982 and at 7 weeks of age she had a heart attack that destroyed 40% of the left side of her heart. She was born with a condition known as ALCAPA — anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. Emily has had 2 open-heart surgeries — one at age 6 and another at age 35. The second surgery provided Emily with a quality of life she never could have dreamed of.
Emily has written a memoir about her experiences of growing up with a congenital heart defect and other medical conditions that prevented her from having the quality of life she dreamed of. In her memoir, From the Sidelines to the Finish Line, she shares how her condition made her feel different, but how she has persevered and how her last surgery totally changed her life.