An Arizona woman who survived a near-fatal cardiovascular crisis is marking a year since her recovery by urging other women to take symptoms of heart disease seriously.
Brooke Mikutowicz, a mother of three from Phoenix, was saved after doctors at Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital used an Impella device to support her failing heart.
She recently returned to the hospital to thank Dr Akil Loli and the medical team who treated her. For Mikutowicz, the anniversary has felt like a second birthday.
“My one-year anniversary of life again. I was reborn my one-year birthday yesterday,” she said.
Mikutowicz had gone to lie down when her heart suddenly began beating at an extremely fast rhythm. She curled into a ball and prayed for help before losing consciousness.
Her husband, Zac, called 911 and performed CPR until emergency crews arrived. Mikutowicz later woke up in hospital after four days, with no memory of what had happened.
Doctors initially faced uncertainty over why her heart had stopped functioning. She had appeared to be a healthy young woman caring for her children, Dr Loli said.
Mikutowicz said her family was warned to prepare for the worst. She was told she might not survive the first 72 hours and, if she did, could suffer severe brain damage.
Impella device helped support her heart
Doctors fitted an Impella, a temporary heart pump designed to take some of the strain off the heart while maintaining blood flow to vital organs including the brain and liver.
Within two days, Mikutowicz began to recover. Dr Loli said the device had helped patients in cardiac shock avoid organ damage and potentially survive otherwise fatal emergencies.
Meeting the doctors again was an emotional experience for Mikutowicz, who said she was able to look at the people whose work had given her another chance to see her children grow up.
“Just braiding my daughter’s hair in the morning is like, I can be overwhelmed with just emotion to think, wow, I can’t believe I get to be here for something so small like this,” she said.
Her experience has also prompted her to speak out about the way cardiovascular disease can present in women. Symptoms may include fatigue, heartburn and other signs that can be mistaken for less serious conditions.
Mikutowicz also experienced pre-eclampsia during her first pregnancy, which she and Dr Loli highlighted as another issue linked to women’s heart health.
With World Heart Day held on 29 September, she is encouraging women to seek medical advice whenever something feels wrong.
“If you feel there is anything whatsoever that just doesn’t seem right, just get yourself checked out because it could literally save your life,” she said.
