Heart disease and stroke continue
to be the leading cause of death for
women every year in the United States.
Welcome back. I'm Marcella Lee.
I'm Carla chichetto.
During the month of February,
CBS 8 has partnered with the American
Heart Association to go red for women.
Tomorrow, you're being urged
to wear red to raise awareness
so women can know the numbers
and protect their health.
Our Heather Myers
had a chance to talk to a local
woman who was only 27 years old
and showing signs of a stroke.
She almost walked out of a health
clinic before the doctor on site told
her to go straight to a hospital.
I love our time together as
we start each happy day. With
her brand new Baby Boy in her arms,
31 year old Brittany Whiteman can sit
back and enjoy these precious moments.
The journey to get here, to be able to
hold her son has been long and tough.
I would go for a walk around the block
during my lunch break and I noticed
that I was stuffing my left foot.
A few years ago at age 27 and
during the height of COVID,
the always athletic San Diegan
noticed her left foot was dragging.
A few days later,
her left hand was weakening.
I was trying to apply mascara with my left
hand to my eyes and my hand was shaking.
Brittany decided to go to a walk in Sports
Medicine clinic and almost left when she
was told the copay would be $300.00.
But the doctor came out to the waiting
room concerned and told Brittany
to go straight to the hospital.
And I said, well, you know,
how serious is this? And she said,
do you have a friend that can drive
you? After a CAT scan and MRI,
doctors were stunned to learn that
the longtime runner had a brain.
Bleed and a stroke over the
next week in the hospital,
the use of her left side quickly
deteriorated and there was
no choice but brain surgery,
there was a lot of panic and fear of,
you know, is the surgery
going to be successful?
Am I going to wake up from this?
I mean, there was a lot of real fear and,
you know, talking with my then
boyfriend at the time of,
you know what, what happens,
what does what does this mean for us?
The surgery was a success.
A few days later, Brittany was sent home.
Unable to walk, her boyfriend Scott,
who was about to be deployed,
helped her with even the most simple tasks.
He bathed me. He brushed my hair.
He. Changed me, tied my shoes,
you know, got me dressed in the day,
cooked for me, cut my food.
I mean, he did absolutely everything.
When Scott left on deployment,
Brittany's parents stepped in and
months of physical therapy began.
And so we're playing Scrabble,
and I'm trying to pick the Scrabble
pieces up and put them back into the bag.
And it is very uncoordinated.
Cell phone video captured Britney's
remarkable Rd. to recovery.
Over the course of six months,
she was able to regain her strength.
And the use of her left side.
And by the time he came home, I was walking.
I wore these like little wedges to
the airport to to pick them up. Plans
were already in the works for a hike
in Zion, a vacation and ultimately
an engagement on their wedding day.
Britney's goal was to be able to wear
heels and dance with her new husband.
I had a big ball gown dress.
I felt like Cinderella.
My husband was in his military uniform,
so it really felt like,
you know, Prince Charming.
It's been a long road for Brittany and Scott.
The simple tasks of going for a walk,
pushing a stroller, the ability
to hold her infant son and read
him a story all means so much
more. I was motivated by, you know,
the hope of having kids one day that,
you know, I would be able to
play with them and, you know,
live a a relatively normal life.
Thank you, Heather.
The American Heart Association says
learning CPR is something everyone can
do to help fight against heart disease.
In only two minutes,
you can learn hands only CPR.
To do that, go to heart.org.
For more information about heart
disease and stroke in women,
go to goredforwomen.org.