VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — There’s no doubt, Daniela Seifert is very fit. The 40-something mom of two has been working out more than an hour a day every day since she was 17. So how is it she almost died four times from heart attacks and cardiac arrest?

“I was about to teach a spin class and I went into cardiac arrest. I noticed that the room moved and my legs got real heavy,” Seifert told WAVY.

She had her first heart attack at age 37 after finishing a workout.

“Told my husband I didn’t feel good. He was like 9-1-1 you don’t feel good? And i was like, I think so,” she said.

Since then she’s gone into cardiac arrest three times at the gym. She has no family history and doesn’t fit the profile. That is why she’s sharing her story.

“I should have listened to my body and I didn’t. I was having some twitching in my chest, like a tightness and I just thought it’s nothing,” she said.

Many women ignore symptoms they should be sharing with their doctors, said Dr. Amber Price, President of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.

“So those early warning signs like headaches that you cannot shake, swelling that becomes more and more significant, on and off chest pain where you feel your heart beating really unusually in your chest,” Dr. Price said.

Dr. Price said pregnant women, especially Black pregnant woman, are also at higher risk for bad cardiac outcomes.

“If you’re young and you’re not seeing a doctor all the time because you feel just great, you might not realize you have this pre-existing condition when you enter your pregnancy,” Price said.

50% of maternal mortality is caused by cadiovascular disease.

That is why Dr. Price and Alexis Swann, President of TowneBank Peninsula and Williamsburg, will advocate for more equitable health care when they co-chair the American Heart Association’s signature event, the Go Red For Women Luncheon.

“The energy is contagious, and so we hope to have a fun time. Like-minded people celebrating womanhood but also educating each other and sharing experiences,” Swann said.

Experiences like Seifert’s, that will make all women stronger in their knowledge to help eliminate heart disease and save lives.

The Go Red For Women Luncheon celebrates 20 years this year. More than 400 people dressed in red are expected to take part in the event.

2024 Hampton Roads Go Red for Women
Friday, February 2, 2024
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Hampton Roads Convention Center
1610 Coliseum Drive
Hampton, Va. 23666

There will be food, entertainment, education and some fabulous purses up for auction.

For tickets and more information click here.