Phoenix mom survives rare form of heart disease during pregnancy

PHOENIX — A Phoenix mom who survived a condition that weakened her heart during pregnancy is sharing her story, hoping to raise awareness about heart disease during American Heart Month.

At 27 years old, Jessica Diede was 20 weeks pregnant with her second child when she started having shortness of breath and an irregular heartbeat.

“I actually felt like I couldn’t even walk from the parking lot to the grocery store,” she told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “I just felt super winded, almost as if I was working out.”

She disagreed when her doctor told her it could be anxiety and pushed for a referral to a cardiologist.

“At this point, when I go in to see the cardiologist, I’m 27 weeks pregnant,” she said. “When I get in he says, ‘Your heart is failing. It’s getting worse.’”

Diede was shocked. She had been working out and eating healthy. And she didn’t have a family history of heart disease.

She was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare and potentially life-threatening form of heart failure that happens during pregnancy.

“As things got worse, they induced me at 34 weeks because my body couldn’t handle it,” Diede said. “It was so much stress on my heart.”

Doctors worried she could go into cardiac arrest during labor. Fortunately, that did not happen. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who’s now 3 years old.

“The doctor held him up, and he was perfect,” she said. “I feel like it was a challenge during pregnancy, but he makes it completely worth it.”

After going through treatment and cardiac rehabilitation, Diede’s heart is doing much better and continues to improve.

Now, with the help of the American Heart Association, she’s raising awareness about peripartum cardiomyopathy among pregnant women and heart disease in people with no family history.

She was recently selected as one of 22 heart disease and stroke survivors who are boldly sharing their stories as part of the association’s Go Red for Women movement.

“What I want people to take away would be to listen to your body and take charge of your own health,” she said. “Especially for pregnant women, if you don’t feel it in your heart that one answer from a doctor is good enough, go reach out for somebody else.”

Related

Banner Health launches advanced heart failure center in PhoenixLuxury homebuilder expands to Arizona, projects over 100 homes a year in Scottsdale marketLake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millionsWeekend wrap: Here are the biggest Arizona news stories from Aug. 14-16Tired of the dry heat? Netflix’s new reality series ‘Arizona Hot’ is going to make it steamyStabbing leaves 29-year-old man dead outside Phoenix-area restaurant