During this holiday season, Hallmark Channel is featuring Abbott Laboratories in “The More the Merrier,” a new original movie that showcases people from its HeartMates community.

Abbott created the HeartMates community to offer support for people affected by cardiovascular conditions, which includes families, caregivers, and medical support teams. The company created a space for participants to share stories and receive emotional support from others who have experienced heart health challenges.

A teenager named David, one of the film’s characters, gains inspiration from a real Abbott HeartMates teammate named Zeke Makins from Dallas. Zeke is now 17 and underwent open-heart surgery at age 12 to receive an Abbott Masters mechanical heart valve to replace his leaking heart valve.

The company also works with HeartMate ambassadors like professional football player and sudden cardiac arrest survivor Damar Hamlin, who shares his experience to inspire what’s possible with the right support team. Hamlin will make his second appearance in a 2025 Hallmark holiday movie and joins five Abbott HeartMates featured in the film during a scene shot in Buffalo, N.Y.

Hamlin has met the HeartMates in the film through his involvement in the community. Other HeartMates appearing in the movie include:

Mackenzie Maddry, from Bella Vista, Ariz. 19-year-old Mackenzie was diagnosed with bone cancer at 14 and underwent 21 chemotherapy cycles, which led to heart failure. She received an Abbott heart pump before having a recent transplant.

Jaden Hartley, from Chicago. 16-year-old Jaden went into heart failure at 14 and received an Abbott heart pump before receiving a heart transplant.

Tony Daly, from Las Vegas and treated in Los Angeles. Tony is ten and was just over 26 weeks when he was born. Doctors found a hole in his heart and he became the first in the world to receive a lifesaving procedure with Abbott’s Amplatzer Piccolo occluder to close the hole.

Rian Krauth, from Minneapolis. Nine-year-old Rian was born at 26 weeks. When she was two, she was treated with an Abbott Amplatzer Septal occluder to close a hole in her heart.

Interested viewers can check Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” lineup announcement to learn when the film will air. Learn more about the HeartMates community here.