American Heart Association youth volunteers inspire healthy living in local communities nationwide
The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service in 2024, has selected a fourth grader at Victory Elementary to serve as a volunteer national Youth Heart Ambassador for the 2024-2025 school year. 9-year-old Brady Petrauskas of Bristow, VA will work closely with the American Heart Association’s in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™ to passionately inspire peers to adopt healthier habits for improved mental and physical well-being.
The American Heart Association accepted nominations nationwide from young people who have been affected by heart disease or stroke. Youth with a personal diagnosis, a family history of cardiovascular disease, or a passion for leading a heart-healthy life were encouraged to apply for the Youth Heart Ambassador role.
Brady Petrauskas, a fourth-grade student at Victory Elementary, was one of the young people selected. Brady is an Aortic Coarctation survivor who survived a near-death heart event when he was just 10 days old. Together with his parents, Brad and Kerry, and his siblings, he advocates for better research and care for pediatric heart patients. He’s worked with the American Heart Association as an award-winning youth ambassador for three years, supporting fundraising efforts and sharing his story to highlight the importance of research on heart health.
“We all want to be like Brady when we grow up! He’s a special soul who spreads joy and strength, and heart awareness everywhere he goes,” said Kerry Petrauskas, Brady’s mother. “He possesses all the qualities to truly change the world!”
The Youth Heart Ambassadors serve a one-year commitment as a volunteer of the American Heart Association assisting the organization to be a relentless force for healthier lives for all. The position gives youth a voice to encourage, advocate and emphasize the need to raise critical funding in their local community as they share the impact cardiovascular disease has had on their life.
“Despite being only nine, Brady has long been an essential voice here in the Greater Washington Region. Brady and his family generously share their experience so that others can learn from them,” said Ameya Kulkarni, M.D. FSCAI, GWR board chair and associate medical director at Kaiser Permanente. “Brady has an incredible story and we are excited to see the impact he will make in our local schools and in schools across the country”.
The Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge are dynamic service-learning fundraising programs that teach students how to improve their overall health while making a positive impact on others. Through engaging curriculums and interactive challenges, students get active, have fun, and raise essential funds for congenital heart defects, nutrition security, CPR training, mental well-being and more. These efforts support the American Heart Association’s mission to create a world of longer, healthier lives.
Schools interested in participating in either Kids Heart Challenge or American Heart Challenge can register now for the 2024-2025 school year. More information about the Youth Heart Ambassadors can be found at heart.org/youthambassador.