If Alexandra White had been born five years earlier, she might not be here today.
"The doctors said I would've been told to take her home - there would have been nothing to do for her," said her mother, Sharon White, a Fulton High School teacher. "Even in 2001, we had to drive all the way to St. Louis to get treatment for her."
Alexandra was born with a laundry list of heart defects: her heart was on right, rather than the left, and had a malformed valve and several holes.
Little Harper Schwab, meanwhile, was born with half of her heart missing. After serious heart defects stole her twin's life, Harper was born prematurely.
"(The anxiety) started even before Harper was born," her mother, Liz Schwab, a science teacher at Fulton High School, said.
After a series of surgeries, Alexandra is now a healthy junior in high school. Harper is headed to kindergarten next year. Their survival is due, in part, to the research funded by the American Heart Association.
The national nonprofit funds cardiovascular medical research and promotes heart health and disease awareness. Alexandra spent several years of her childhood acting as an AHA ambassador.
"She looked cute and I spoke," Sharon said. "As she grew up, other children took her place."
Alexandra said she's still in contact with one of the friends she made during her ambassador days.
In recent years, she's realized the Fulton High School could be doing more to promote heart health awareness.
"We took a picture together on Wear Red Day, but we never had an event for it," she said.
She worked together with teachers and administrators to bring a Spirit Week to the school. All this week, people at FHS will be wearing themed costumes and raising money for the AHA. T-shirts are on sale for $10, with funds going to the AHA.
On Friday, the school will participate in an awareness-raising Heart Walk. Students will also jump rope and shoot hoops, and the drum line is planning a special performance, Alexandra said.
She and Schwab said public awareness of heart issues, especially congenital heart defects like what Alexandra and Harper face, is lacking.
"A lot of people don't realize that if you're born with it, it doesn't go away," Alexandra said.
She had several surgeries before age 3, another at 8 and, most recently, a procedure in December to check up on her heart function.
Schwab said that women's heart health is another area of ignorance. Many don't know that when a woman has a cardiac event such as a heart attack, the symptoms often differ from the list everyone knows. For example, women may feel shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue jaw pain and a squeezing sensation in the chest.
Alexandra encouraged everyone to support AHA's cause by spreading awareness and donating if possible.
"Every bit helps," she said.
To learn more or make a donation, visit heart.org.