Advocate Story: Aqualyn Kennedy

April 30, 2026

She survived a stroke, heart attacks and lupus—then came the bills

How one survivor turned hardship into a national call for affordable health care

Aqualyn Kennedy knows how quickly life can change—and how long the consequences can last.

At just 18 years old, during her freshman year of college, she survived a stroke that temporarily took away her ability to speak. Doctors saved her life with an eight-hour open-heart surgery, implanting a mechanical heart valve and keeping her hospitalized for weeks. As she recovered, her family carried two fears at once: Would she heal – and how would they afford the care that saved her life?

At the time, they were fortunate. Covered by her mother’s employer-sponsored insurance, most of Aqualyn’s medical costs were paid. She recovered. She returned to school. And for a while, she believed the health care system had done what it was supposed to do.

But that sense of security didn’t last.

When coverage isn’t enough

Years later, as a self-employed small business owner, Aqualyn purchased the best health insurance she could afford. When severe gallbladder pain sent her to the hospital for a week in 2005, she learned just how fragile health coverage can be. Her insurer deemed the treatment a pre-existing condition and issued a $100,000 bill—for only days of care and surgery.

The size of her medical bill was incomprehensible, and she felt it would be impossible to pay. For months, Aqualyn tried to negotiate, searching for answers and relief. None came. She felt powerless and punished simply for having gotten sick.

That experience became a turning point.

Aqualyn began telling her story to anyone who would listen—hospital executives, board members, advocates. Two years into sharing her experience, she received a letter. An anonymous source had paid the bill in full. Overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief, she cried for days.

But relief wasn’t the end of her story. It was the beginning of her purpose.

The real cost of care

Living with chronic illness taught Aqualyn a painful reality: For many people, health care decisions are driven by cost—not by what’s best for their health.

She chose to have her entire gallbladder removed to avoid the possibility of future procedures and expenses. After receiving a $10,000 bill for diagnostic tests that offered no clear answers, she began declining certain tests. At times, she admits, she even rationed medication.

“Now I make decisions based on cost,” she says. “It’s probably the worst thing you can do—but sometimes you don’t have a choice.”

Her experiences eroded her faith in the health care system. Prices were opaque. Coverage decisions felt arbitrary. Patients were expected to navigate life-altering choices without knowing the financial consequences ahead of time.

For Aqualyn, survival came with tradeoffs – and those tradeoffs were shaped by affordability.

Turning survival into action

Aqualyn refused to let her experience end with frustration.

Her advocacy led her to the White House, where she met President Obama and celebrated the signing of the Affordable Care Act – a moment that affirmed years of persistence and hope.

“I remember thinking, this feels like a big win,” Aqualyn says. “This changes lives and eases so much stress for people like me.”

Today, she is a dedicated volunteer advocate in the American Heart Association’s Heart Powered national grassroots network. She lends her voice to efforts that advance access to adequate, accessible and affordable health coverage for all. She shares her story through media interviews, opinion articles and community events. As an Alabama State Advocacy Committee member and a representative for the Heart Association on the Cover Alabama Coalition steering committee, she is working to expand Medicaid in Alabama. Through conversations with state lawmakers, she hopes her state will join the 40 others that now make health care more accessible and affordable to millions of people and families nationwide.

For the Heart Association’s Heart Powered advocates, progress is never abstract. It’s personal. It’s hard-won. And it’s worth fighting for.

“I’m Heart Powered because I’ll never give up the fight. I will be on the right side of history,” Aqualyn says.

The Heart Association’s new policy statement, “Health Care Affordability in the United States: From Crisis to Action,” recommends simple, straightforward policy solutions that would help patients like Aqualyn afford the care they need.

To learn more about the American Heart Association’s Heart Powered movement, text HEART to 46839 or visit HeartPowered.org.

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