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Members of the American Heart Association's Young Professionals group are working to spread the message that anyone can be at risk of heart problems, not just those you might expect.

"I had my first open heart surgery when I was 3-months-old and the second when I was 8-years-old," said Jenn Costantino, a member of the group.

"They had to shape my heart around like a pipe cleaner so now I have a pacemaker because my heart couldn't beat quick enough in order for me to stay alive," explained group member Lauren McKenna.

Some of the young professionals say they carry out their daily routines around people who don't even know they have a heart condition.

"People are shocked, they had no idea that I had a heart problem," said Young Professionals member Douglas Levine. "My good friends know but people I work with had no idea."

"When I was 16 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and I was also 220 pounds," said Stephani Chan who was stented to open her blocked arteries.

The American Heart Association's Young Professionals are working to spread the message that heart disease can come on at anytime, whether you are born with it, have a family history or develop risk factors.

Events like their Annual Red Ball, which took place in SoHo last week, not only brings in those with personal stories but other young philanthropists as well, to raise money for research and draw attention to an important cause.

"Twenty percent of young people are now suffering with high blood pressure," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital. "There is a 70 percent increase in obesity in this country, which is going to lead to diabetes."

"I had a stroke when I was 29 and when I was told I had a stroke, I said "stroke of what?" recalled Faye Rogaski, an organizer from the Heart Association's Young Professionals.

"What I'm trying to do is really spread the awareness that stroke and heart disease are not something that just affects the elderly. These are diseases and illnesses that happen to people my age and beyond."

When the group started out a few years ago, they only had a handful of young professionals involved. Now organizers say they have about 400 members, and plan to take their message national.