CPR & AED Education Champion | Speaker | Storyteller | 2023 AHA Go Red for Women Class of Survivors Did you know that 90% of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital don't survive? At the age of 42, on November 6, 2021 my heart stopped on the dance floor. I suffered a heart attack that caused my heart to go into ventricular fibrillation (an arrhythmia) that then caused my heart t
o go into cardiac arrest. However, due to 3 quick thinking bystander dancers, who happened to be nurses, I got immediate CPR and shocks from an AED. Two days later, I had open heart surgery -- a quadruple bypass due to cholesterol clogged arteries. Although I'm genetically pre-dispositioned to have higher cholesterol, my heart attack & cardiac arrest could have been prevented, or at least prolonged. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States
Now I'm on a mission to share my story and the importance of learning CPR, as well as increase heart health awareness to encourage you to make the commitment to take charge of your own heart health, and the health of those you love. HEALTH CARE DISCLAIMER: This page and its content does not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. If you are in the United States and experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately.