"Go Home and Lose Weight," Doctors Told Her. You Won't Believe What Was Wrong

When Jen Mayadas-Dering, a world-ranked professional racquetball player in peak condition, suddenly developed a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and gained 10 pounds in just three days, she knew something wasn't right.

Yet after 14 doctor's visits and two trips to emergency rooms over several weeks, medical professionals dismissed Jen and her symptoms, telling her it was "just asthma," to "try antacids," or to "go home and lose weight."

It turns out Jen's heart was failing, and with the delay in diagnosis, a heart transplant was necessary to save her life.

Jen’s troubling story of dismissal exposes a dangerous reality: women's heart disease symptoms often go unrecognized, and gender bias in medicine can be deadly.

Now Jen is channeling her harrowing experience into fighting bias in healthcare. She's also launched Heartprints, a seven-week American Heart Association fundraising campaign with an ambitious $50,000 goal. Running now through November 5, the initiative combines community advocacy and awareness to ensure that the next woman who senses something is wrong gets the lifesaving care she deserves as soon as possible.

Jen’s Fight for a Diagnosis, Then for Her Life
"My body was screaming for help. My doctor sent me home and said, 'stop eating so much,'" recalls Jen, 56, of Cross River. "I left that appointment in tears, without answers, but I knew I had to keep fighting."

When Jen's family pushed for a chest X-ray, it revealed a devastating reality: fluid around her heart and lungs, and an enlarged heart that was barely working, pumping just 15% of the blood it should.
Jen’s severe heart failure, caused by cardiomyopathy, required immediate hospitalization. Doctors removed a shocking 30 pounds of fluid from her body, and within weeks, she was fortunate to receive a life-saving heart transplant at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y.

"I'm alive because I persisted," said Jen. "No one should have to fight twice: first for a diagnosis, then for a second chance at life. I'm sharing my story so the next woman is believed the first time and gets the care she needs ASAP."

A Community Rallies for Change
Jen’s Heartprints campaign will mobilize the community through multiple initiatives with World Heart Day (September 29) serving as a key rallying point.

The community can join the fight for women's heart health by:

• Donating to Heartprints. Every contribution goes directly to the American Heart Association
• Participating in the Heartprints Virtual Walk-a-Thon and sharing progress on social media
• Supporting local business partners who join the campaign
• Sharing Jen's story to raise awareness about women's heart health disparities

What Every Woman Should Know
Jen's experience highlights critical warning signs that are often dismissed in women:

• Rapid weight gain alongside fatigue and breathing difficulty can indicate fluid retention from heart failure
• Trust your instincts: Women's heart disease symptoms often differ from the classic chest pain, including unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, or back and jaw pain
• Advocate fiercely: If something feels wrong, don't accept dismissal—seek second opinions and demand specific tests

"Your symptoms matter. Your concerns are valid," Jen emphasizes. "Don't let my story become your story. Advocate for yourself."

The Stakes Are High
Heart disease remains the #1 killer of women in the United States. For most of the 20th century, heart disease was considered a man's disease, and while research has shown it to be an equal or greater threat to women, diagnostic and treatment gaps persist.

Women face a 20% increased risk of developing heart failure or dying within five years after their first severe heart attack compared with men, according to the American Heart Association.
Today, even though her heart transplant was successful, Jen lives with daily immunosuppressive medications, chronic kidney disease, infections, and fatigue that ended her successful career as an electrical engineer. But she's alive to have seen her younger son graduate high school, celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary, and fight so that other women don't suffer the same preventable fate.

About Team Heart Prints
Team Heart Prints is a community-led initiative focused on women's heart health and patient advocacy. The name reflects the campaign's core belief: that through acts of kindness, advocacy, and support, we can leave lasting positive impressions – Heartprints - on the lives of women facing cardiac challenges.