Dad felt healthy, but a heart test led to quadruple bypass surgery
Oct 30, 2026
Alex Lasprilla felt fit at 53 and showed no signs of heart trouble. A coronary artery calcium test uncovered hidden heart disease and led to open-heart surgery.
Stories From the Heart
This series from American Heart Association News chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.
Halloween scare: Torn artery causes grandmother’s heart attack
Oct 23, 2026
Carmen Scott’s stomach pain disrupted trick-or-treating plans with her twin grandsons. Then it spread to her chest. Tests showed SCAD, a tear in a coronary artery, had caused a heart attack.
Heart failure at 23 upended his life. A new mindset reshaped it.
Oct 16, 2026
Diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart condition, as a teen and heart failure at 23, Brian Frausto rebuilt his strength, confidence and outlook on life.
She hoped her back pain wasn’t a heart attack. It was.
Oct 9, 2026
Back pain, exhaustion and breathing trouble signaled Tia Emard’s heart attack at 45. Since then, she has lost nearly half her body weight and shares her story to help others recognize the warning signs.
A stroke at 22 changed her future. She built a new one.
Oct 7, 2026
A tangle of blood vessels ruptured in Marcella Prokop’s brain, leading to a stroke. Her recovery changed her plans, but writing helped her build a family and a career. Now she’s using her experience to help others.
Cardiac arrest and a double transplant took soccer. Not his resolve.
Sep 25, 2026
Diego Obregon was 17 when he went into cardiac arrest while playing soccer. Tests revealed a congenital heart defect, and he spent 11 months in the hospital before receiving a heart and kidney transplant. Today.
She saved her husband’s life with CPR. Now the former journalists have a new assignment.
Sep 23, 2026
Kris Patrow and Dave Ogle met in TV news, telling other people's stories. When he went into cardiac arrest, she used CPR to save him. Now they’re helping others become lifesavers and prepare for emergencies.
A heart transplant saved this student’s life. Determination drives it.
Sep 17, 2026
Caroline Laubach’s health issues were linked to a rare genetic heart condition that led to heart failure and a transplant. A spinal stroke and other complications followed. Now she’s focused on what comes next.
A quick turn on the field led to a life-changing stroke
Sep 10, 2026
Hospital doctors didn't know it at first, but a torn artery caused Brian Sureck's vertebral stroke. A decade later, he remains active despite lasting challenges.
3 heart attacks, 3 strokes, a heart transplant and a new mission
Sep 3, 2026
Years of unexplained health problems led educator Angela Hughes Lewis to heart failure, a heart transplant and a commitment to helping women protect their heart health.