Skip to main content
  • English
American Stroke Association
American Stroke Association
  • Stroke Symptoms
  • Volunteer
  • ShopHeart
  • Donate
  • Donate
  • site search Search
    Search
  • About Stroke
  • Life After Stroke
  • Help and Support
  • Healthy Living
  • Professionals
  • Get Involved
  • Stroke Symptoms
    • English
    • Español
  1. Home
  2. Health Topics
  3. Heart Attack
  4. Heart Attack Tools and Resources
  5. Heart Attack Personal Stories

Heart Attack Personal Stories

Real patients share their experiences with having a heart attack.  

Melissa Murphy

Melissa Murphy: Enjoying every second of life...while preventing a second heart attack!

Melissa Murphy is a mother, wife, daughter, sister and heart attack survivor. She packs two stents in her right coronary artery due to the effects of birth control and yet didn’t have cardiac risk factors or cardiac disease.

She wants everyone to know - it can happen to you.


X formerly known as Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Print

Heart Attack Tools and Resources

  • What Are the Warning Signs of Heart Attack? (PDF)
  • What is a Heart Attack? (PDF)
  • How Will I Recover? (PDF)
  • Heart Attack Discharge Worksheet (PDF)
  • Heart Attack Discharge Worksheet (Spanish) (PDF)
  • 5 Ways to Lower Your Risk of a Second Heart Attack (PDF)
  • 5 Ways to Lower Your Risk of a Second Heart Attack -  Spanish (PDF)
  • Cardiac Rehab Referral Card (PDF)
  • Cardiac Rehab Referral Card (Spanish) (PDF)
  • Common Heart Attack Warning Signs (PDF)

Heart Attack

Heart Attack
  • About Heart Attacks
    • Acute Coronary Syndrome
    • Heart Attack vs Cardiac Arrest
    • Coronary Artery Dissection
    • Ischemic Heart Disease
  • Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
    • Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
  • Angina (Chest Pain)
    • Stable Angina
    • Unstable Angina
    • Prinzmetal Angina
    • Refractory Angina
    • Microvascular Angina
    • Coronary Microvascular Disease
    • Angina in Women vs Men
    • Heartburn or Heart Attack?
  • Understand Your Risks to Prevent a Heart Attack
  • Diagnosing a Heart Attack
    • CAC Test
    • Cardiac Catheterization
    • Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA)
    • Chest X-Ray
    • Coronary Angiogram
    • Echocardiogram (Echo)
    • Electrocardiogram (EKG)
    • Exercise Stress Test
    • Holter Monitor
    • Cardiac MRI
    • Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: PET and SPECT
    • Radionuclide Angiography (MUGA Scan)
    • Tilt-Table Test
    • Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
  • Heart Attack Treatment
    • Heart Medications
    • Aspirin and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy
    • Heart Procedures and Surgeries
    • Stents
    • Implantable Medical Devices
  • Life After a Heart Attack
    • Lifestyle Changes to Prevent a Heart Attack
    • Heart Attack Recovery FAQs
  • Heart Attack Tools and Resources

Related Articles

adult woman in physical therapy

Heart Attack Recovery Questions and Answers 

Stroke Family Warmline:
1-888-4-STROKE or 1-888-478-7653
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. CST
Stroke.org/speakwithus

*All health/medical information on this website has been reviewed and approved by the American Heart Association, based on scientific research and American Heart Association guidelines. Find more information on our content editorial process.

American Heart Association

National Center
7272 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75231

Customer Service
1-800-AHA-USA-1
1-800-242-8721

Contact Us

Hours
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. CT 
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT
Closed on Sundays

Tax Identification Number
13-5613797

About Us

  • About the American Stroke Association
  • Annual Report
  • AHA Financial Information
  • Careers
  • International Programs
  • Latest Heart and Stroke News
  • AHA/ASA Media Newsroom

Get Involved

  • Donate Now
  • Make a Memorial Gift
  • Ways to Give
  • Advocate
  • Volunteer
  • ShopHeart
  • ShopCPR

Our Sites

  • American Heart Association
  • CPR & ECC
  • Professional Heart Daily
  • More Sites
  • Facebook
  • X formerly known as Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Tik Tok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • National Health Council Standards of Excellence Certification Program page for Standards of Excellence
  • Better Business Bureau page for American Heart Association
  • Charity Navigator Home
  • Secured by Sectigo page for SSL certificates
  • AHA Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Copyright Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Conflict of Interest Policy
  • Linking Policy
  • Whistleblower Policy
  • Content Editorial Guidelines
  • Suppliers & Providers
  • State Fundraising Notices


©2025 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
The American Heart Association is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
*Red Dress ™ DHHS, Go Red ™ AHA ; National Wear Red Day® is a registered trademark.

×
American Stroke Association

This link is provided for convenience only and is not an endorsement of either the linked-to entity or any product or service.

Proceed