INDIANAPOLIS — February is Heart Month, and WRTV is partnering with the American Heart Association to share stories, hoping to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death for women in the United States.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
Maggie Denari thought she was starting another routine run on July 15, 2017. It was a gorgeous day, and she felt ready for her usual exercise. But her memory of that run ends after the first block.
"I had a cardiac arrest in the middle of somebody's front yard," Denari said.
The rest of what happened, she learned from the people who rushed to help her.
"When they got to me, they could tell that I wasn't breathing," Denari said.
Tests later revealed Denari had heart failure. A year and a half after her cardiac arrest, including four months on a heart transplant list, Denari was given a new heart and with it a new lease on life.
"The most difficult thing that I dealt with in my healing - I was afraid I would not get to see my son get married or know grandchildren," Denari said. "I danced with my son at his wedding, and now I have two grandchildren."
Denari wants to share her story to help educate others and encourage them to advocate for themselves.
"I dealt with that with doctors saying, 'Oh, you're thin, you're a runner, you can't have heart failure, you just, you can't,'" Denari said.
The American Heart Association says heart disease or stroke can happen at any age, and nearly 45% of women over the age of 20 are living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
Denari will share her story at next Friday's Go Red for Women Luncheon.
"I really want to share it with as many people as I can to help people to realize that you really do have to advocate for yourself - the rest of your life," Denari said.
___
