12/10/2025
Out of heartbreak came hope. After losing her mother far too soon to a heart attack, Michelle LaBounty is turning pain into purpose - and helping others live longer, healthier lives.
Her journey will make you think twice about what heart health really looks like.
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Michelle LaBounty was just 24 years old when her world changed forever. In March 1994, her mother, Jeri Jo Linney, passed away from a heart attack at just 45 years old. It was sudden. It was shocking. And it was something no one saw coming, especially not the doctors.
“You don’t even realize who that person is and how much they mean until they’re not there anymore,” says LaBounty.
She describes her mother as the glue of the family—generous, thoughtful and quietly powerful. LaBounty says her mom always planned the holidays, made birthdays special and never sought recognition.
“She was just a tiny powerhouse,” LaBounty remembers. “Incredibly generous, not only with her time, but with all of our family.”
Before the heart attack that took her away, Linney suffered from extreme fatigue. LaBounty recalls that for at least two years, her mom had to take a nap after getting done teaching just to have the energy to make dinner. And when Linney told her doctor she felt a “flutter,” or her heart racing often, they told her it was probably just stress or anxiety.
LaBounty also says her mom complained about jaw and neck pain the last couple of weeks before the heart attack. Linney had been to the dentist, and at the time, they believed the pain was related to that. No one thought any of those symptoms could be her heart. After all, she was young. She was a woman. And back then, people didn’t talk much about heart disease in women.
Now, LaBounty won’t stop talking about it.
“I just want people to know the signs,” she explains. “We had no idea that the symptoms my mom was experiencing were red flags for heart problems until we were in the ER with her and it was too late. Don’t ignore them. Don’t be embarrassed. Get checked out.”
According to the American Heart Association, many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable, like chest pain or discomfort and shortness of breath. However, the signs may not be obvious, can be confusing and are often chalked up to less life-threatening conditions such as acid reflux, the flu or normal aging. The Cleveland Clinic says many women have early warning signs that can happen hours, weeks or even months before a heart attack. Symptoms to watch out for include:
✅ Unusual and significant fatigue
✅ Feeling anxious
✅ Frequent indigestion
✅ Fast heart rate
✅ Change in thinking or remembering (feeling “off” or foggy)
✅ Loss of appetite
✅ Trouble breathing or sleeping at night
✅ Tingling in your hands or arms, numbness or burning in your hands or fingers, weakness or heaviness in your arms
✅ Numbness or burning in your hands or fingers
✅ Cough
✅ More frequent or intense headaches
✅ Discomfort in your jaw or teeth
If you experience any of these symptoms without another known cause, especially if you have more than one symptom, call 911 right away.
LaBounty’s story is a powerful reminder that heart disease doesn’t always look the same in women as it does in men. If her mother had been heard, maybe things would have turned out differently.
But now, LaBounty is making sure other families get a second chance.
👉 See how by reading the full story in the comments.
