Spontaneous coronary artery dissection survivor MaryKay West. (Photo courtesy of MaryKay West) MaryKay West was at work in Portland, Oregon, after a long weekend in Southern California. Her husband, Jeff, had a work assignment there and she and their daughter, Anna, had visited. They’d gone for walks, shared nice meals and done a little sightseeing….
Cardiac arrest survivor Nicole Tetreault with her family, from left: daughter Ella, husband Brian, son Brantley and Nicole. (Photo courtesy of the Tetreault family) On an August morning, Nicole Tetreault, her husband, Brian, and their 2-year-old daughter, Ella, had eaten breakfast and taken a walk. Nicole hadn’t been feeling well since Friday. She’d had a…
Congenital heart defect survivor Karlee Rose Naglieri. (Photo courtesy of Naglieri family) It started with the ultrasounds. Every time Anita Naglieri had one, her OB-GYN said she could only see half her baby’s heart. “Don’t worry,” the doctor told her. “It’s probably just the way the baby’s positioned.” But this pregnancy – her fourth –…
Heart transplant recipient Arthur Vaughn. (Photo courtesy of Arthur Vaughn) Several days after running a 10K event in Atlanta in 2019, Arthur Vaughn found himself breathless simply walking across the room. Vaughn’s primary care physician recommended he see a cardiologist. The exam included a stress test. After three minutes on the treadmill, Vaughn vomited. The…
Stroke survivor Marissa Fattore. (Photo courtesy of Marissa Fattore) Marissa Fattore’s graduation from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania took place on a warm spring day. For the occasion, Marissa had her nails done and wore a new dress and high heels. Despite her excitement, she felt crummy. She had a headache and her brain was fuzzy….
Race car driver and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome survivor Bryce Cornet. (Photo courtesy of Bryce Cornet) Bryce Cornet is no stranger to a racing heart. His heart beats faster each time he puts on his helmet, slides into the cockpit of his race car, snaps on the buckles of his harness and puts the pedal to the…
Heart transplant recipient Melody Hickman. (Photo courtesy of Melody Hickman) At 26, Melody Hickman of Raleigh, North Carolina, was crestfallen. A routine physical detected a problem with her mitral valve. Fixing it required open-heart surgery. “I knew I would have to be on a heart-lung machine, and the idea of having the incision really bothered…
Heart attack and cardiac arrest survivor Vonnie Gaither. (Photo courtesy of Vonnie Gaither) Vonnie Gaither hated leaving a reunion of extended family in Baltimore. Still, she had to tear herself away to start the trek back home to Anchorage, Alaska. Her flight from Baltimore to Salt Lake City was uneventful. After boarding the plane bound…
Cardiac arrest survivor Sarah Taffet. (Photo courtesy of Makenzie McGrath) In her second game of the day, Fordham University shortstop Sarah Taffet hit a ground ball to first base. The fielder charged forward, stopped the ball and kept going to tag out Sarah. It turned into a small collision, with Sarah getting knocked to the…
Stroke survivor Jose Rosales Campos (center) with two of his daughters, Alejandra (left) and Adriana. (Photo courtesy of Alejandra Rosales Murillo) Lea en español One Sunday morning at church, Alejandra Rosales Murillo and her four sisters were sitting with their parents when one of the girls noticed their father’s face was drooping. She whispered the…