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When Heather Sparks headed to a theme park with her son, a heart attack was the last thing on her mind. An avid equestrian with no history of high blood pressure or high cholesterol, she seemed the picture of health — until suddenly, she wasn’t.
Her story is one of resilience, awareness and self-advocacy. Like many women, she didn’t recognize the warning signs of a heart attack until it was nearly too late. Her experience is a powerful reminder that heart disease doesn’t discriminate — and that trusting your instincts can save your life.
“Not all heart attacks come with crushing chest pain — some are silent, with subtle or no symptoms at all,” says Andrew Cluckey, MD, an interventional cardiologist with HonorHealth Heart Care. “In fact, one in five heart attacks is silent, meaning the damage occurs without the person realizing it. Listen to your body, because early detection saves lives.”
Subtle signs, overlooked symptoms
Looking back, Sparks realizes her body had been warning her long before that fateful day. A year earlier, she visited the doctor for tightness in her chest. The response? An inhaler for possible allergy-related symptoms. Months later, while working on a ranch, she felt tingling in her left arm. She noticed it — but brushed it off.
“I remember thinking, ‘Huh, that’s weird. That’s a heart attack symptom,’ but I just went on with my day,” she recalls.
That tendency to downplay symptoms is common, especially among women. Instead of sudden, crushing chest pain, heart attacks in women often show up as subtle discomfort, nausea, dizziness or pressure in unexpected places like the throat, back or jaw.
“Unfortunately, for years, women’s concerns have been dismissed or misattributed to anxiety, stress or even indigestion, leading to delayed or inadequate treatment,” says Sirisha Vadali, MD, a women’s cardiovascular specialist with the HonorHealth Women’s Heart Health Program. “This is changing as awareness grows and more research focuses on how heart disease affects women differently. We are becoming more attuned to these differences, and women are increasingly empowered to advocate for their health.”
The day everything changed
Sparks and her son were enjoying a meal at a theme park when she first felt a strange pressure in her throat.
“It was like the sensation you get right before you vomit,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘Am I having an allergic reaction?’”
Then came dizziness, lightheadedness and pain across the tops of her shoulders. Concerned, she turned to Google, searching heart attack symptoms in women — but her experience didn’t match the textbook description. As the discomfort intensified, she knew she had to get help.
She and her son made their way across the park to the first aid station — a journey she now wishes she hadn’t made on foot.
“I should have asked for a golf cart or something, but as a mom, I didn’t want to scare my son,” she says.
By the time she arrived, the stabbing pain in her back was undeniable. Paramedics quickly took over, hooking her up to an EKG. The moment she heard the word STEMI — a term for a severe heart attack — she told her son to call his uncle, an interventional cardiologist.
Minutes later, she was in an ambulance. Within 40 minutes, she was in surgery. Her artery had completely collapsed, requiring an emergency stent.
Recovery and awareness
After surgery, Sparks had to come to terms with what had happened. Unlike a broken bone, a heart attack doesn’t leave a visible reminder, making it easy to slip into denial.
“It was just two or three hours of pain,” she says. “It wasn’t like I had a cast on for six weeks. It’s easy to question, ‘Did this really happen to me?’”
But it had — and the real work was just beginning. Sparks started a cardiac rehabilitation program to regain strength and adjust to her new normal. She also enrolled in the HonorHealth Cardiometabolic Program under Dr. Vadali’s care.
“Our program integrates cardiovascular care with metabolic health, addressing the connection between metabolic disorders and heart disease,” says Dr. Vadali. “This comprehensive approach gives patients the knowledge, tools and support they need to get back to living the life they want.”
Two years later, Sparks is back in the saddle — literally. She’s riding horses four days a week and recently completed a rigorous 75-day fitness challenge. But she’s also made it her mission to educate others about spontaneous coronary artery dissection, the rare condition that caused her heart attack.
Her biggest message: Trust your instincts, seek immediate help and push for proper testing if something feels off.
“If I had been at home, I probably would have taken an Advil, laid down and ignored it,” she admits. “I’m thankful I was somewhere that forced me to process what was happening.”
Her advice is clear: Don’t dismiss your symptoms. Ask for help. Advocate for yourself.
“When it comes to a heart attack, every minute counts,” says Dr. Cluckey. “Hesitating — whether it’s ignoring symptoms, waiting to see if they pass or second-guessing yourself — can be deadly. Acting fast can mean the difference between life and death. At HonorHealth Heart Care, we’re here to be your lifeline the moment you need us — because your heart deserves expert care without delay.”
