A colleague found her on the floor. She'd had a rare, often fatal stroke.
May 1, 2025
After Jodi Hammell had a type of stroke called a basilar artery occlusion, her recovery amazed her doctors.
Stories From the Heart
This series from American Heart Association News chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.
Fit and healthy at 45, he looked into a mild symptom. It might have saved his life.
Apr 29, 2025
When Scott Daley felt tingling in his arm during a soccer game, he knew he should check in with his doctor. Daley ended up needing heart surgery.
At 2:30 a.m., he told his wife to call 911. A heart attack soon caused 2 cardiac arrests.
Apr 25, 2025
Mac Cheek wasn't feeling well and went home early from work. He later woke up in the middle of the night and knew he was having a heart attack.
Her chest pain kept being labeled heartburn or anxiety. Then came 2 heart attacks and 6 cardiac arrests.
Apr 21, 2025
Heather Bardeleben now trusts her instincts, insists on medical tests and seeks second opinions.
His heart stopped after a run. His daughter, a nurse, helped restart it.
Apr 16, 2025
After a 5-mile run, Mark Kleinschmidt had a heart attack that caused cardiac arrest. His daughter – a nurse – happened to be home.
A heart artery tore weeks before her due date, putting the lives of mom and baby at risk
Apr 11, 2025
Nefertari Nelson-Williams was nearly nine months pregnant when she had emergency surgery to repair a spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
An 8-minute limit at cardiac rehab propelled heart attack survivor to push for more
Apr 9, 2025
Fighting a family history of heart disease, Sheron Lee found fitness in the gym and through walking and dancing.
Husband finds wife face down in the bathroom. Her heart had stopped.
Apr 3, 2025
At age 35, Brooke Jones recovered from three cardiac arrests and fights the fear of another through advocacy work.
He refused to leave the ER. More tests revealed a 99.9% blocked heart artery.
Mar 31, 2025
Matt Bowman was at risk of a fatal heart attack and had open-heart surgery. His wife, Robin, fainted in the hospital hallway and hit her head. Her breast cancer had spread to her brain.
He'd all but forgotten he had a defibrillator. It reminded him it was there – 22 times.
Mar 24, 2025
Three years after Bill Miller had a defibrillator implanted, it went off nearly two dozen times. His healing included dealing with the mental and emotional side of what had happened.