I had to be rushed to hospital when my heart burst during an appointment – I had a 3% chance of survival

A MUM almost died during a date when an artery in her heart burst before she could even start her meal.

Stefani Anderson had just a 3% chance of survival after suffering a medical emergency minutes after her restaurant date.

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She had gone to eat with a man she was seeing at the Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, in September, when she began feeling intense pain in her jaw.

The 39-year-old mistook the sensation for a “locked jaw” until the pain began to spread to her collarbone, getting worse by the minute.

The mother-of-three was writhing in pain when her date called emergency services for help.

Paramedics rushed Stefani to the hospital where doctors discovered her aortic aneurysm had ruptured and she needed emergency open-heart surgery.

Stefani, who lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, was told about the aneurysm in her heart 10 years ago, but doctors monitored it regularly.

An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta, the body’s main artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

When it ruptures, the layers of the aorta’s wall tear, allowing blood to leak out, which can prevent blood from flowing through the body.

Stefani, who works as a clinical educator, was actually scheduled to undergo pre-planned heart surgery just nine days after her aneurysm ruptured.

Despite a survival rate of just 3%, Stefani has defied the odds and feels “lucky to be alive” after a successful operation to repair the artery.

Stefani said: “I was out to dinner with my boyfriend and I started having really bad pain in my jaw and it was really hard to swallow.

“It was mainly jaw and collarbone pain. I had ordered a Coke and had just taken three sips, and the jaw pain had become very intense.

“I didn’t know what was causing the pain. Within a few minutes it went from a slight pain in my jaw to a very severe pain.

“I thought it might be a stiff jaw or something, but then I had pain in my collarbone.

“I didn’t think it was my aneurysm because I didn’t have any of the symptoms they warned me about.

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“I was always told that if it ever ruptured I would have a really bad headache and chest pain, but I didn’t experience any of that.”

Stefani was rushed to hospital where she was told her aortic aneurysm had ruptured and the blood supply had been cut off from her ear to her ankle.

Doctors rushed Stefani into emergency open-heart surgery to repair the ascending aorta.

Stefani said: “I was told that 3% of people succeed in this situation.

It’s like a second chance in life. Everyone says I’m a walking miracle

Stefani Anderson

“I remember my mom bringing my kids to the hospital, so I was telling them everything was going to be okay and I didn’t have time to focus on the fact that it was really scary.

“I had had 10 years to research what it was and I knew my chances weren’t great. The whole time I thought I was going to die and it was my last night.

“I never thought it was going to rupture, and even when it did I thought no, this can’t happen, I’ll have surgery in 10 days.”

“Living in fear”

Stefani remained in the hospital for 11 days and will have to undergo further surgery. future to repair his descending aorta.

Stefani said her near-death experience changed her outlook on life after surviving all the difficulties.

Stefani said: “I live in fear that this could happen again. I have been hospitalized twice since the operation due to symptoms related to my recovery.

“At the slightest strange feeling, I go back to the hospital now.

“I don’t think anyone thought I was at risk of a ruptured aneurysm. I feel so grateful to be alive. It’s like a second chance at life.

“Everyone says I’m a walking miracle. My cardiologist said ‘congratulations on being alive’ because I shouldn’t be here. It gave me a different perspective on life.”

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