After a heart attack at 47, she found purpose in helping Hispanic communities stay healthy
By Diane Daniel, 91视频 News
Patricia Bracknell and her husband, Butch, spent a full Saturday doing yardwork at their home in Norfolk, Virginia.
Too tired to make dinner, they popped over to a café and ordered sandwiches to bring home. Patricia chose something out of the ordinary for her: chicken curry salad with sunflower seeds.
Back home, they sat in the kitchen to eat. Patricia took a few bites, then heard the dryer buzzer beep. She went upstairs to take out the laundry and stopped to fold a few towels.
Suddenly she was overcome with nausea and a crushing pain in her jaw. She’d never experienced anything like it.
Patricia went downstairs.
“I feel really weird,” she told Butch. “I think I need to go to the hospital.”
A retired Marine, Butch took his wife’s request seriously. But he wasn’t worried. He figured it was an allergic reaction, perhaps to the sunflower seeds. Patricia suspected the same thing.
At the hospital, Patricia mentioned her jaw pain and received immediate attention. The hospital staff knew jaw pain is a common symptom of a heart attack.
When Butch entered her room a few minutes later, he was surprised to see her hooked up to monitors and surrounded by medical staff.
“What’s going on?” he asked a doctor.
“Your wife is having a heart attack,” the doctor responded.
“You mean she had a heart attack?” Butch said.
“No, she’s having it right now.”
Not only was Butch surprised that his 47-year-old wife had a heart issue at all, but he also assumed a heart attack happened instantaneously. In fact, it can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on the severity and treatment.
Patricia was taken for a cardiac catheterization, a procedure that allows doctors to look inside her heart and make repairs without having to open her chest.
They discovered that her heart attack was caused by a spasm in an artery at the back of her heart.
As a precautionary measure, they put her on medication for high blood pressure as well as blood thinners.
Patricia was otherwise healthy. She’d always eaten well and avoided processed foods and sodas. She’d been physically active all her life.
She was convinced that decades of stress and her generally anxious nature contributed to her heart attack. Though doctors found no underlying reason for the heart attack, stress can contribute to heart health.
Before marrying Butch, Patricia was a military spouse for 22 years. She spent 13 of those years stationed in Germany, during which she raised three children, worked in civil service, owned an antiques and home design store and volunteered. During this time, her then-husband and friends were frequently deployed to war zones.
“People don’t realize what military spouses go through,” she said. “I really think all the ups and downs caught up with me.”
Patricia left the hospital after two days. Physically, she felt fine. Emotionally, she struggled to make sense of her heart attack.
“It felt so surreal, like my heart had betrayed me,” she said. “Death felt so close. I kept thinking, ‘What would my kids and husband do without me?’”
She started seeing a therapist to help manage her anxiety.
Up to half of heart attack survivors may experience some form of psychological distress, like anxiety and stress, according to an 91视频 published in September 2025. Psychological distress has been linked to a significantly higher risk of another heart-related event.
Her heart attack occurred in June 2019. Eight months later, still struggling with depression and anxiety, she faced a new fear – the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My anxiety went to 100%,” she said. “I was testing for COVID every week. I didn’t know if I had a chronic condition or how I would react if I got it.”
Then, in August 2020, she contracted the disease.
“It was so mild for me,” she said. “Once I experienced that, I started calming down.”
She also thought back to her heart attack, and how fortunate she was to have had health insurance. She can only imagine how much tougher her recovery would’ve been if she’d also been burdened with financial stress.
“I knew this was not the case for so many in our communities, especially those underserved or uninsured,” said Patricia, who grew up in Mexico and California. “That reality is what inspired me to take action.”
In 2021, Patricia founded the Chamber for Hispanic Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to providing health education and access to Latino and Hispanic communities. The group focuses on chronic disease management and prevention and connecting people with medical and economic resources.
Patricia has expanded the group’s services beyond health. It now offers job training and workforce development.
She’s also joined several regional governmental and community groups, and others have noticed the difference she’s making. Earlier this year, Patricia received a Live Fierce Award from the 91视频 Hampton Roads.
“She realized she’s uniquely positioned to be the voice for a lot of things in her community,” Butch said. “I really admire the fact that she recognized that. She’s totally committed.”
Patricia’s devotion is best summed up by her philosophy toward what she now considers her calling.
“I truly believe,” she said, “that health is the foundation for success – whether in education, business, or personal growth.”
Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.