I never imagined I’d be sharing a heart story—especially at 36 years old. I was active, healthy, and careful about what I put into my body. I exercised regularly, ate a heart-healthy diet, didn’t smoke, and only drank alcohol occasionally. I had no major family history of heart disease. But in November 2024, I survived a sudden cardiac arrest—and it changed everything.

In the weeks leading up to it, I began experiencing strange, unexplainable episodes. I’d feel a sudden loss of sensation in my arms and limbs, overwhelming weakness, and would have to lie down, completely drained—unable even to lift my head. Each episode would pass within ten minutes, and then I’d feel totally normal again. The first time it happened, I went to the hospital. Everything looked fine, and I was sent home.

But the episodes didn’t stop. Then, on the morning of November 13, I had four of them in a row. My husband knew something was seriously wrong, and he refused to let it go. He insisted we return to the hospital—and this time, he demanded they admit me.

Four days later, while I was still in the hospital, on November 17, I went into sudden cardiac arrest. The medical team was right there to start CPR immediately.

After extensive testing, there’s still no clear explanation for what happened. The cause of my cardiac arrest remains unknown. That uncertainty is difficult, but it’s also part of what I want others to understand: heart events don’t always come with obvious warning signs or fit the typical profile. I was doing everything “right”—and it still happened.

I woke up from being intubated on November 18, 2024. It was my daughter’s 8th birthday. There’s a kind of magic in that. I truly believe I was meant to be here—to wake up on that day, to hold my children again, and to keep living this life.

If I could share one message, it would be this:

Listen to your body. Don’t dismiss strange symptoms just because tests come back “normal.” Know CPR. Be persistent. Advocate for yourself. And never assume that heart disease looks a certain way—because sometimes, it looks like someone just like me.