Fayette County 2011 Heart Ball will be held Saturday in Farmington

Many think they are in excellent health, but the fact is, an estimated 81 million American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Alia Horner discovered only six years ago that she had heart disease. At the age of 21 and during her second pregnancy, Horner was diagnosed with Pregnancy Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This condition is defined as deterioration in cardiac function presenting typically between the last month of pregnancy and up to five months postpartum.

Horner had a low ejection fraction, meaning her heart was functioning at less than 30 percent -- she was in congestive heart failure. In essence, her heart muscle could not contract forcefully enough to pump adequate amounts of blood for the needs of her body's vital organs.

Initially, Horner was in total shock and denial.

"I was unable to wrap my mind around the fact that one day I was a young mother about to have my second child and the next day I was a terminally ill woman who may lose her unborn child. Then I went through a horrible depression," she explained. "It didn't last very long, but I just couldn't understand how this could happen to me. Would I make it through the pregnancy long enough for my unborn child to live• Was I going to be here to watch my daughters grow• So many questions filled my mind."

Horner successfully delivered a healthy baby girl named Olivia in the ICU at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. However, she and her new baby left the hospital with an uncertain future.

"Nobody could tell me what to expect or even how to react to it," Horner said.

Then one day Horner just accepted that she was given this amazing opportunity to prove how strong she was -- to beat all the odds. And that is exactly what she did, she said.

Getting to this point wasn't easy, though. The past several years were an emotional roller coaster.

Horner said she still has her moments of doubt, but they are fewer and farther between. She still gets a twinge of panic when she feels a pain in her chest.

Horner continues to have limited heart function, but she tries to maintain a positive outlook every day. Amazingly, with improved medications and her team of doctors and cardiologists, she had a successful delivery of twins just a few years later, she said.

Horner will share her moving story with approximately 400 others at the American Heart Association's Fayette County 2011 Heart Ball. The ball will start at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Chateau Lafayette at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington.

Themed "Spring for the Heart," the event will be chaired by Dan Gearing of Specialty Conduit & Manufacturing LLC. The Heart Ball raises funds that support heart and stroke medical research as well as public and professional education programs. Research funded by the American Heart Association has reportedly yielded important discoveries such as CPR, life-extending drugs, pacemakers, bypass surgery, surgical techniques to repair heart defects and more.

Guests will enjoy a chef-inspired dinner and dancing to the music of The Groove Doctors. Additionally, both silent and live auctions will be held featuring some extraordinary treasures.

The American Heart Association is the largest financial supporter of heart and stroke research, second only to the federal government and it is through its premiere fund-raising event -- the Heart Ball -- that people can see the critical research dollars at work.

Horner said she is so grateful for the American Heart Association for everything it does to help raise awareness and funds for the vital research necessary to help her live life to the fullest.

"When I look at my children, I realize that I am truly what the heart association is all about. I am here because there are people that give their time and energy to those of us who need it," Horner said.

For tickets or sponsorship information, call Cindy Stirling at 724-437-2798, ext. 3472 or e-mail . Also, visit the Heart Ball website .