I was born with half of a heart (Hypo-Plastic Left Heart Syndrome). The doctors were surprised I was even born. After 3 open heart surgeries before the age of 2 years old, I was aware I would eventually need a heart transplant.
Because of my condition, I could not do sports. So, I started to practice the piano in 2011 (age 6). I grew my love of music and felt it was something I had no limits in, when my whole life was limited because of my condition. It was my form of therapy.
Because of my heart condition and love of music I worked with different non-profit organizations to travel nationally to perform piano and public speak about my story. I ended up at Denver School of the Arts as a classical pianist my first two years of highschool.
Surprisingly, I was relatively stable and while the doctors thought I would need a new heart by age 13, my 13th birthday came and went and I was stable through highschool.
At Denver School of the Arts, I grew my love of electronic music, rap, and pop (contemporary music). I would write raps and songs instead of essays for school projects, and would rope my friends into being in videos.
I began my freshman year of college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah (my family having moved to Utah in 2020), and auditioned for my music program.
As it was time to begin my service as a missionary, I was assigned to the Illinois Chicago Mission speaking Spanish. However, after just 1 week in Chicago, and having done everything the Lord needed me to do there, my heart became unstable and I went home to Utah to begin my service as a service missionary.
December of 2023, I was put on supplemental oxygen and began to have an impression that God wanted me to use my love of music as part of my mission in a more full capacity. In January 2024, I released my first song as “Rapping Missionary”, and have continued to serve my mission for the Lord in that capacity as I wait to receive a heart/liver transplant.
I will finish my mission July 2025 and will leave up everything I do with “Rapping Missionary” online.