Christine Webb, Your Health and Fitness

At 20 years old, life looked great for Casselberry resident Rachel Lietzke -- a successful model, ballerina and dirt bike racer. Then everything changed when she found she needed open-heart surgery.

"It wasn't until a month before surgery that it started getting bad. I couldn't even walk up the stairs," Lietzke said.

Lietzke had a bad heart valve and Dr. Kevin Accola, a heart surgeon at Florida Hospital, told Lietzke that she needed surgery ASAP.

But unlike traditional open heart surgery, Accola used new, minimally invasive techniques so Lietzke would not have a scar that would prevent her from modeling.  It also allowed her to recover quicker.

Accola fixed the valve and added a ring to support the repair.

"You can imagine, if blood is supposed to go a certain way, but one of the valves isn't working, the blood rushes back and the heart gets overloaded," Accola said.

The difference for Lietzke was immediate.

"The time I woke up from surgery I just felt better," Lietzke said. "From the moment I woke up I decided life is so precious. You could be gone in a second. It is so amazing to be alive."

Lietzke spent a week recovering in the hospital, and a couple weeks recovering at her parent's home. 

Just three weeks after the surgery, Lietzke ran in a 5K race.

Her message to others is, if you think something is wrong with your health and something is just not right, make sure you see your doctor, no matter how old you are.

Lietzke is now back doing all the things she loves. She is also hoping to inspire others with her story and give back to the community.

She organized a team for the American Heart Association's annual HeartWalk and raised more than $800 for the event. she plans to raise even more money next year.

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