A Texas teenager will make his acting debut alongside an NFL superstar this fall as part of an upcoming Hallmark holiday movie that’s putting a spotlight on those living with heart conditions.

Zeke Mankins, a 17 year old from Dallas, underwent open-heart surgery at 12 years old to repair a leaking mitral valve. A recipient of an Abbott Masters mechanical heart valve, Mankins has since gone on to become a standout high school track athlete. His success led to Abbott’s HeartMates team recruiting Mankins as a member, with the program designed to spotlight people “chasing their own heart-related comeback stories” and to develop a community.

Now, that community will be on full display in Hallmark’s upcoming holiday film The More the Merrier. Starring Rachel Boston and Brendan Penny, the movie follows an ER doctor and cardiologist tasked with delivering multiple babies during a Christmas Eve blizzard. Alongside Boston and Penny, The More the Merrier will feature six HeartMates team members in the film – including both Mankins and standout Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

Those cameos came amid an ongoing collaboration between Abbott and the Hallmark Channel, with this specific project years in the making. Mankins, who previously dreamed of becoming a football player, said it was surreal to be on set with Hamlin and to build a relationship alongside him through their work on the HeartMates team.

“Damar Hamlin being a football player and a football star, it’s really cool how down to earth he is and how humble he is,” Mankins told MySA. “He’s like a brother to me and he treats all of the HeartMates team like that too. He is always there for us.”

Mankins said he’s especially proud of the way this movie brings representation to the wide range of medical conditions people can face and how it can impact people from a variety of age ranges and backgrounds. As one of a slim number of kids at his school who’s dealt with a medical condition of this caliber, Mankins said the HeartMates team has offered him support, camaraderie and a community where they all can share stories about their experiences and their triumphs.

As for whether or not he’ll star in another acting role down the road? He’s got his plate pretty full, he told MySA with a laugh, as he balances running track and playing the trombone with preparations to become a pilot. Growing up as a missionary kid, his parents worked in Papua New Guinea, and his family was often flying in and out of various airstrips as a result of those missions.

Now, those dreams are taking flight.

“Ever since then, I’ve just been obsessed with airplanes and I’ve been learning more as I got older. And now, the journey for me has been a really long one, but I still have the same dream.”

The More the Merrier will premiere on the Hallmark Channel on November 28.

This article originally published at Dallas teen scores major Hallmark movie role alongside NFL superstar.