She Had 3 Heart Attacks in 3 Days—Now She’s Urging Women to Know the Early Signs
After her concerns were brushed off, Tara Robinson now advocates for other women
Back in April 2014, Tara Robinson, 52, was a full-time teacher based in Fort Worth, Texas. It was a typical day in her classroom until she suddenly was overcome with a strange sensation, almost as if something were misfiring in her body. Though she didn’t know it at the time, it was one of the early signs of a heart attack—and the first of multiple cardiac events she’d experience over the next three days.
At first, Robinson brushed off the early signs of her heart attack
The day prior, Robinson had been feeling discomfort in her neck, upper back, left arm and chest, along with nausea. She chalked it up to everyday aches and pains. But when the symptoms struck again even more intensely while she was teaching, Robinson fell to her knees and knew something was wrong.
After noticing Robinson in distress, the teaching assistant ran out of the classroom to alert the nurse. The nurse called 911 and the fire department. Before Robinson knew it, an electrocardiogram (EKG) was being performed right in her classroom to try to detect early signs of a heart attack.
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Since nothing showed up on the EKG, the decision to go to the emergency room was left up to Robinson. While she hadn’t initially planned on going after the EKG came back clear, her husband insisted after hearing what had happened.
Doctors dismissed her concerns
At the hospital, Robinson explained her symptoms and what had happened in her classroom. But doctors brushed her off, saying there was no reason to keep her overnight. Robinson stood her ground.
“I’m adamant that something’s going on with my body, and I need whatever it is to happen here,” Robinson said.
Robinson was then given a troponin test, which is often used to diagnose heart attacks according to MedlinePlus. The first time they performed the test, her numbers came back slightly higher than normal but not high enough for the medical team to admit her. The next two times her results came back normal. She was discharged from the hospital at 11 am, despite Robinson urging them to keep her.
Just a few hours after returning home, Robinson began experiencing the same discomfort. Around 4 pm, her husband urged her to go back to the hospital for emergency medical care. Only this time, when doctors performed an EKG, it revealed she was having a massive heart attack. The two previous episodes (the one she felt at home and the one at school) were identified as mini heart attacks.
Having multiple cardiac events back-to-back isn’t unheard of
Multiple cardiac events in a short period of time are “more common than people realize because sometimes, the underlying problem is not fully treated or because people either don’t seek medical attention or when they do they are told it may not be the heart,” says Srihari S. Naidu, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSCAI, Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College.
This was the case with Robinson, who, because of her relatively young age, was told it was not symptoms of a heart attack. (See more sneaky early signs of a heart attack in women here.)
“Some people are also more likely to be told that, namely women and minorities, because of a general sense even among doctors that these groups are lower risk,” Dr Naidu says. “But the truth is exactly the opposite. These groups, especially as they age, tend to have as much or more cardiovascular risk factors and heart attacks and should be looked at as more likely to have heart issues, not less likely.”
Robinson’s artery was 99% blocked
Robinson’s first reaction to the diagnosis was shock. “I look over to my husband, and I can tell he was in more shock than I probably was,” Robinson said. “And then I think immediately after that was fear.”
Doctors performed a cardiac catheterization, or “cath-lab,” a common procedure that allows medical professionals to see how well a person’s heart is working, according to the American Heart Association. Robinson’s cath-lab results showed she had a 99 percent blockage in her left artery.
A stent helped restore blood flow
To clear the blockage in her artery, doctors placed a stent in her heart. While undergoing the stent operation, she went into sudden cardiac death, meaning her heart stopped beating and she lost consciousness. Thankfully, doctors were able to revive her.
In fact, her doctor said it was a miracle she was alive. “God has you in the palm of his hands, Tara,” Robinson’s doctor told her.
Robinson remained in the hospital for six days. Her stay would have been shorter, but an infection required additional treatment. And although she had experienced stress, Robinson had no pre-existing conditions at the time of the heart attack. Her doctor believed it was likely caused by family history.
Robinson’s heart attack inspired her to help others
Even before she was discharged, Robinson was already trying to figure out how to raise awareness for heart health after her own experience. “I had already called American Heart to ask them, what could I do? How do I volunteer? How do I sign up so I can learn as much as I can about heart disease?” Robinson said.
Her experience with heart disease inspired Robinson to advocate for others, especially within the Black community, through her work with the Black Heart Association, where she is the founder and CEO. “It’s pushed me into a life of purpose to help others survive, or not even go through, what I’ve been through,” Robinson said.
Today, Robinson’s activism has even extended to the screen. Robinson can be seen sharing her own experience of living with heart disease alongside football legend Barry Sanders in The Making of a Heart Attack documentary which premiered June 14, 2025, on A&E and is currently available online.
Heart health screenings every woman needs
If you’re worried about a heart attack but don’t know what to ask your doctor or which screenings you need, we’ve got the answers.
“The whole field of screening has blossomed, and fortunately there are now more noninvasive ways to detect heart disease,” says Dr. Naidu. “It all starts with risk factors, so people should keep their BMI normal, make sure they don’t have diabetes (or control it if found), keep cholesterol down and then of course not smoke tobacco. If they are doing all that, they can then look at family history. Like cancer history, if heart disease is running in your family then you should start screening.”
Having screenings you may not initially associate with heart health may also be helpful.
“Calcium scores on CT scans can help get a general idea of risk of heart attack over the next 10 years, while CT coronary angiograms can take a virtual look at the heart arteries for any major blockages,” says Dr. Naidu. “If you’re having symptoms [of heart trouble], then either a stress test or going to an angiogram may be needed.”
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