Heart transplant survivor Jen Lentini celebrated her 40th birthday at Disney World. (Photo courtesy of Jen Lentini) Jen Lentini was a 13-year-old competitive baton twirler and lacrosse player in the Long Island town of Hicksville, New York, when the problems began. The pain started in her stomach. It was so severe that she’d often sit…
Heart disease survivor Jana Turner. (Photo courtesy of Mike Luna Studios) Jana Turner had always enjoyed a sense of control over her life. She never married or had children. Her career in commercial real estate remained her top priority, culminating in a rise to becoming a partner in her company. She also took control of…
Cardiac arrest survivor Justin Stroh. (Photo courtesy of Justin Stroh) In the early months of 2021, heavy snow blanketed the city of Philadelphia. Justin Stroh and his wife, Bess, both in their 60s, had been taking turns shoveling the snow in front of their suburban home. On a Monday in February, the snow was falling…
Ventricular tachycardia survivor Sheena Fannin. (Photo courtesy of Goldenlight Creative) By the time Sheena Fannin and her two sons, ages 6 and 9, arrived home from soccer practice it was already getting late. She rushed to get them to bed. Her husband, Michael, was traveling, so she tucked them in alone. Sheena went downstairs to…
Stroke survivor Shelley Davis. (Photo courtesy of Shelley Davis) Shelley Davis packed shorts, bathing suits and sunscreen for a weeklong cruise with her husband, Greg, and their 13- and 15-year-old daughters. The morning before boarding the ship in Port Canaveral, Florida, the family from Mesa, Arizona, soaked up the sunshine and played in an arcade….
Cardiac arrest survivor Heather Baker. (Photo courtesy of Heather Baker) Heather Baker was 28 and a school administrator in Pecatonica, Illinois, when she walked into a conference room for a meeting. She was chatting and joking with her colleagues when she was hit by a sudden wave of nausea. “The whole room was spinning,” she…
Cardiac arrest and dilated cardiomyopathy survivor LaNysha Adams with her family. From left: Husband David Foss, sons Davidson and Donovan, and LaNysha. (Photo courtesy of LaNysha Adams) LaNysha Adams of Silver Spring, Maryland, was lying on the sofa watching TV when her husband, David Foss, went out to pick up a pizza for dinner. When…
Coronary artery disease and throat cancer survivor Don Young. (Photo courtesy of Don Young) Don Young already had been through an excruciating ordeal with throat cancer that included removal of his larynx, multiple hospitalizations and a doctor’s prediction of six months to live – all while in his 40s. Then came heart trouble. It started…
Congenital heart defect survivor Cynthia Felix Jeffers. (Photo courtesy of Cynthia Felix Jeffers) Lea en español Cynthia Felix Jeffers was a baby when her 12-day-old sister died from a congenital heart defect. She was 22 when her brother, a week shy of 20, died from the same condition. Cynthia, meanwhile, grew up in New York…
Heart failure and heart valve disease survivor Kassandra Benson. (Photo courtesy of Kassandra Benson) As a logistics planner with the U.S. Air Force, Kassandra Benson deployed to Pakistan, where she worked long days and nights coordinating and troubleshooting special operations troops’ equipment and travel needs. After a year abroad, she returned home. A post-deployment health…