The color red is a symbol for one Kansas City mom. It’s a reminder that she survived something many women don't - heart disease.
She's using her voice to spread awareness that the number one killer of women can happen to anyone.
Victoria Lewellen told her story to 41 Action News in celebration of American Heart Month.
"My body just shut down," Lewellen said. "I thought it had to be a panic attack, and I just need to calm down."
She tried to ignore the signs
Just like any busy mom, her own health was the last thing on her mind. She's had a heart murmur since childhood, but it had never given her problems, until that day last January while visiting a friend.
"The pain in my chest was just getting worse, and it was going through to my back," Lewellen remembered. She tried to lie down when she got home, but knew she couldn't sleep through the night.
She finally went to St. Luke's Hospital. After 14 hours of tests and uncertainty, doctors told her the news.
"You have a defect in your aortic valve and your aorta has dissected," they said.
They informed her she'd need emergency open-heart surgery.
"Then I was told I had a 25 to 50 percent chance of surviving the surgery," Lewellen said. "I mean it was scary. It was a life-changing moment. I really believed I would die, and I made last calls."
The American Heart Association said that's a reality that one in three women face across the country. And, like Lewellen, one in five women never think heart disease can happen to them.
"It's a wake-up call for sure when you're told that you might not survive this."
But her heart kept beating, and she survived the surgery. She said she was in a fog for the three days after coming out of the invasive procedure. She hadn't suffered a stroke, which doctors at St. Luke's Heart Institute told her was rare.
Rehabilitation began
"Everything was so hard for a long time," Lewellen said.
She focused on her rehab, wanting to get back to playing tennis. Her doctors were unsure at first, but just four months after her emergency open-heart surgery, she was back on the tennis court.
Her rehab also meant coming to terms with what might have been.
"Sometimes I think about that parallel life, where I'm not in the picture anymore,” Lewellen said. “And you know, it's horrible to have young children - they were seven and four at the time. They need a mom."
Her family, and a second chance at life, drives her every day to send a message about heart health to women everywhere, to avoid the jolting news she got just one year ago.
"I really want people to take charge of their own health. Encourage our family and friends to go to their annual check-ups. We can't take our hearts for granted."
She is an active spokesperson now for heart health.
Heart disease in women is 80 percent preventable, according to the American Heart Association. Going to a doctor regularly, knowing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent heart issues.
Click here for more information about heart disease and how to get involved with American Heart Month.
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Sarah Plake can be reached at sarah.plake@kshb.com.
