Arlington woman survives ‘widow-maker' heart attack, shares gratitude for the holidays

As families gather to celebrate the holidays, a retired Arlington teacher is urging everyone to reflect on the importance of heart health and gratitude.

After surviving a near-fatal heart attack, Rynthia Clements is sharing her story of survival, determination, and hope in the hopes of inspiring others.

“It was incredibly frightening,” Clements recalled. Just four months ago, the 64-year-old thought she was dealing with nothing more than severe indigestion. But as the heaviness in her chest grew worse, accompanied by tingling in her arm, she knew something was seriously wrong.

“Less than an hour after those symptoms started, the pain became unbearable,” she said.

Thanks to her husband’s quick thinking, Clements was rushed to the emergency room. There, tests revealed she had suffered a "widowmaker" heart attack, a blockage of the heart's main artery that has a very high fatality rate if not caught fast enough.

Doctors acted quickly to save her life, but her recovery journey was just beginning.

“At first, I felt hopeless. I wasn’t sure what the days ahead would look like,” she admitted. “I still had a heart attack, even though I was very active and could keep up with some individuals half my age. My heart was physically damaged, and I was broken emotionally and mentally, too.”

Clements’ primary care physician, Dr. Daniel Naberhaus, a family medicine physician with Texas Health Physicians Group and on the Texas Health Arlington Memorial medical staff, advised her that cardiac rehabilitation would provide her with the best opportunity to return to normalcy and help prevent future cardiac events.

“Sometimes we do everything right, and yet bad outcomes are thrown at us,” Naberhaus said.

Clements underwent 12 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, one of several Texas Health cardiac rehab locations in North Texas.

“Educating and empowering individuals on appropriate exercise routines after a cardiac event is a major component to a successful recovery,” said Dr. Sunita Koshy-Nesbitt, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist. “Through our personalized cardiac rehabilitation programs, Texas Health will continue to provide the necessary resources, along with the comprehensive cardiovascular care North Texans expect to receive each time they enter our doors.”

Despite the challenges, Clements leaned on her faith, community, and determination to persevere.

“It’s been a learning experience,” she said. “I’ve learned to rest more, to trust more, and to focus on God’s provisions instead of problems.”

FAMILY HISTORY

Clements, who led what she described as an incredibly healthy lifestyle, was shocked to learn that her genetics played a significant role in her heart attack. Both her father and brother had died of heart attacks, and her experience has underscored the importance of understanding family health history.

“I thought I could out-exercise and out-diet my family history, but genetics are important,” she said.

Naberhaus said Clements’ family history of cardiovascular disease and major blockage in her main artery, which provides 50% of the heart’s blood supply, affected her heart function. It also caused extreme fatigue and shortness of breath and resulted in Clements having an extremely low ejection fraction, which measures how well your heart pumps out blood each time it beats.

A normal EF is between 50% and 75%, and Clements had an EF of 30%, which put her at an increased risk for heart failure.

Just months after her life-changing event, Clements is grateful to be alive and is determined to use her story as a lesson for others.

“Pay attention to your body,” she urged. “If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t wait—go and get checked.”

Now a cardiac rehab graduate, Clements is also enjoying life again, including spending time with her six grandchildren.

“I could have been a burden to my family dealing with health issues, but I was given hope through my faith, my medical team and other cardiac patients,” Clements said. “Cardiac rehab was a life-giving experience.”