Amanda is a heart transplant recipient and graduate of the The International Culinary Schools at the Art Institute of Houston, Texas.  She is currently working on a heart healthy cookbook and her goals are to use her creative talents, training, devotion to living a healthy and her life her passion of food and nutrition to enhance the lives of other heart patients. Born with Congenital Heart Disease, at only 14 days old, she had her first surgery to repair a VSD and a Coarctation of the Aorta. She was non-symptomatic and playing sports until the age of 12 when she needed a pacemaker implanted and she was soon diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Doctors started the conversation about a heart transplant and three years later she went into full heart failure, spending 3 months in the hospital undergoing extensive testing, just to be placed on the transplant list. In October of 2003, a stranger whom she calls Bob gave her the gift of life. Amanda learned at an early age the meaning of healthy living and has dedicated her second chance at life to help educate others. Today she teaches heart patients how to modify their favorite recipes, find heart-healthy foods at the grocery store and change their eating habits. She also developed a heart-healthy cookbook and a website to help others with heart disease. She competed in the 2014 Transplant Games of America, winning a Silver medal in discus and a Bronze in the shot put competition and is a proud member of the AHA’s Latina Leadership Circle.  Most recently, Amanda was selected by the AHA to be an official 2017 Go Red for Women National Spokeswomen. (Video with Chef Amanda DeJesus and Dr. Meyers)