The curtains lifted, the spotlight hit the stage, and the actors started to sing a lively opening number. But in the audience, attending the musical “Pretty Woman” at the Academy of Music, Debra Wallace felt light-headed and a tight pain in her chest. An entertainment writer for local magazines, Wallace was ready to review the show for an upcoming article, but the intensifying pain and nausea forced her to leave her seat and go to the restroom, where she stayed for the entire first act.
By intermission, Wallace’s heart was racing, and a woman noticed her discomfort. She summoned her friends, two Penn Medicine nurses, to see if Wallace was okay, and after observing her symptoms and checking her pulse, they gave her life-changing news: “You need to go to the hospital. You could be having a heart attack.”
Fortunately, Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH) was only a few blocks away, and Wallace was rushed to its ER, driven by a friend, for further treatment.
“If I had been home or in a different area, who knows if I would’ve made it,” said Wallace. “It was the right place, right time.”
That night in January 2022, Wallace experienced a ST-elevation myocardial infarction – a severe type of heart attack. She was treated by PAH’s Catheterization Lab team, led by interventional cardiologist Kevin Steinberg, MD, who operated on Wallace when she arrived at the hospital. Steinberg described the fast-paced procedure, explaining the crucial 90-minute window from a patient’s first contact with a medical provider to opening the blocked artery, that has found to be the most effective for saving heart muscle from damage.
“This is a typical experience for someone who comes in with this particular sort of emergency heart attack,” said Steinberg. “We offer consistent, exceptional care where things are done quickly and we fix the problem.”
After her procedure, as an inpatient, Wallace became close with her care team, who were attentive to her questions about the treatment and her road to recovery. They also expressed interest in her personal life, inquiring about her career as a writer and her 16-year-old son – whose birthday was the day after her heart attack.
“The team was absolutely amazing. I felt cared for and listened to,” said Wallace. “As scary as the whole situation was, I felt like I was in the best hands, and that made it less scary.”
Because of this experience, Wallace wrote a story about her heart attack and clinical care at PAH in Suburban Life Magazine, published in February for American Heart Month. She interviewed Steinberg, who shared warning signs of cardiac conditions and advice on how to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, such as regularly exercising, managing stress, eating a well-balanced diet, and attending regular doctor visits to monitor health.
Wallace has returned to attending local shows and performances for her articles, while also beginning a new lifestyle and outlook on life for her family.
“This was a wake-up call. It changed my perspective on how I want to live my life,” she said. “My whole house is now on a diet, we’re exercising more, and I’m not taking anything for granted. I’m doing this for my son and to give us a future.”