The moments before Jennifer Donner’s heart attack were remarkably normal: She was at home preparing for a meeting. When she felt sudden heat in her chest, Jennifer asked her daughter to drive her to the hospital. This quick reaction time might have saved her life.
“I remember getting out of the car and going through the front door of the emergency room,” Jennifer says. “And that’s where it ends.”
Jennifer had a heart attack from spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a tear within an artery of the heart. This rare disease can cause heart attacks in women who have no other risk factors for heart disease. Without treatment, SCAD can lead to sudden death.
Jennifer made it to the hospital in time, but the experience left her shaken. She became hungry to learn more about SCAD – what caused her heart attack and how to prevent another one. Her research led her to Dr. Esther Kim, an expert in women’s cardiovascular health – and an expert in SCAD in particular – who recently moved to Charlotte to work at the new Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute Center for Women's Cardiovascular Health.
“Jennifer was one of the first patients that I saw when I arrived at Atrium Health,” Kim says. “Her story is like so many other patients who’ve been given a diagnosis, but they haven't been able to feel secure in understanding it and learning how to recover from the trauma of having a heart attack from this uncommon cause.”
Expertise in Rare Cardiovascular Diseases
Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute Center for Women's Cardiovascular Health is the first of its kind in the region. Here, patients like Jennifer can receive the care that their condition requires, even for rare diseases.
The center fills a vital need. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Some of its most common forms are coronary artery disease, arrhythmia and heart failure. But less common and less understood cardiovascular diseases lead to heart attack and stroke in women, too, such as SCAD and fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). FMD is a rare blood disorder that can lead to stroke, and about 90% of people who have it are women. Women with these rare diseases often have few places to seek answers about their condition.
“Many patients have never met anyone else with the same diagnosis,” Kim says of her patients at the clinic. “It’s very meaningful work to care for them.”
One of Few Cardio-Obstetrics Clinics in the Country
The center also features the Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic, which offers women’s cardiovascular care and evaluations during pregnancy through postpartum. This clinic unites specialists in cardiology and maternal and fetal medicine, such as OB-GYN Dr. Kelecia Brown, who specializes in high-risk maternal and fetal medicine at Atrium Health Women’s Institute, and cardiologist Dr. Ashleigh Maiers, who focuses on cardio-obstetrics at Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute. The cardio-obstetrics clinic is one of few of its kind in the country.
“To my knowledge, we're the only program in the region that offers a cardio-obstetrical program for our patients to ensure that they get the best care throughout their pregnancy, and also before and after their pregnancy,“ says Dr. Suzanna Fox, deputy chief physician executive and Southeast Region Women’s Care service line medical director at Atrium Health.
Regaining Health – and Confidence
Now that Jennifer understands SCAD more fully, she’s starting to return to her regular routine.
“Dr. Kim helped give me a peace of mind,” Jennifer says. “It all came from having confidence about what I had and how to handle it, how to try to live my days. It was life-changing.”
Jennifer’s story illustrates the center’s goal: to connect women with experts in cardiovascular health, whether they’re experiencing heart problems during pregnancy or a rare disorder, so they can return to the lives they love.
“I became a doctor to help people,” Kim says. “When I hear from patients like Jennifer that I was able to give her peace of mind – how much more could I ask for as a healer and as a physician?”
