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…
Stroke survivor LeeAnn Walton. (Photo courtesy of Caroline Alarcón Loor) LeeAnn Walton rushed from work to a fitness club in New York City to lead a yoga class. Her classes had become so popular that she was booked daily at locations in and around Manhattan. Teaching yoga was a side job. She enjoyed it so…
Stroke survivor Amy Burnett. (Photo courtesy of Amy Burnett) Tamie Felty was waiting for her wife, Amy Burnett, to get dressed for brunch when she heard a crash in the bedroom. “Hey, what’s going on in there?” Felty called out. She heard Burnett try to say something, but it made no sense. Felty ran into…
Heart attack survivor Rick Mater. (Photo courtesy of Rick Mater) During what should’ve been an easy walk with his wife, Rick Mater found himself winded. It made little sense to him. The TV executive was in his 40s, active, didn’t smoke and maintained a healthy weight. Still, he considered this a sign that he should…