Mental Wellness and the Heart Go Hand in Hand 

As a heart transplant recipient, I first experienced anxiety, depression and fear as I awaited my "gift of life." The fear of the unknown, isolation and uncertainty caused emotional feelings that I'd never encountered before. After transplant, the anxiety, depression and fear continued but were coupled with feelings of guilt and social anxiety; changes to my physical appearance caused other challenges. I soon started working on these feelings and began exercising and watching what I ate and found it helped tremendously. When the pandemic emerged, many of the feelings resurfaced and I learned that I wasn't alone. Many teens suffer from the same anxiety, depression, isolation and social anxiety that I experienced. My Gold Award website provides numerous tips, techniques and resources to assist youth in balancing their mental well-being.