JOPLIN, Mo. — “Freeman Health System” continues to raise awareness during “American Heart Month.” It did so today with the story of Amy Queen.

When she was 15, she passed out at her home before leaving for school.

Her parents took her to see Dr. John Cox, who found a tiny heart abnormality.

Queen then received a pacemaker. At the time, she was Dr. Cox’s youngest patient to receive the device.

That was 30-years ago.

“I was suspicious that she had a certain type of problem that causes the heart to slow down and people to faint. So we put her through some testing and that was indeed what she had. But she had a bad enough problem that it required a permanent pacemaker,” said Dr. John Cox, Freeman Cardiologist.

“I live a very normal life, you know I do have to be seen by him once a year and they do pacemaker checks where now with the technology the pacemaker check is actually through my phone,” said Amy Queen, Patient.

Queen and Dr. Cox still remain close.

According to the CDC, only 56 percent of women recognize that heart disease is a huge health risk.