Up on her tiptoes, Mallory Muller, grimaces as she sees carrots on the dessert table. Tugging at her dad's suit, she asks him why anyone would want to have carrots for dessert. After he explains that the little orange vegetables are formed from frosting, Mallory's face snaps to a smile, but that doesn't convince her she should try one. She grabs a ball drizzled in chocolate instead.

A Heart Princess at the American Heart Association's 13th annual Heart Ball, Mallory joins seven Heart Royalty, all children who have dealt with heart disease in their young lives. In Mallory's case, she suffered from hypoplastic left heart syndrome and had a heart transplant, all before the age of 6. Thanks to research from the American Heart Association and medical staff, Mallory can continue life as a happy 6-year-old, swimming, dancing and playing pretend.

Years ago, these children featured as royalty would have never been alive to share their stories and spirits. Thanks to dedicated people and technology, I got to witness a 6-year-old being a 6-year-old.

See more photos from my evening at the Heart Ball right here on my website.