South Bend woman survives heart attack after dialing 911

“I was terrified. And I picked up the phone and I called 911.”

69-year-old Rita Egendoerfer, a mother and grandmother, has led a healthy lifestyle for as long as she can remember.

“Bowl of steel cut oats, with blueberries strawberries, apples. What I have every morning of my life. Ansd I walk 7/8 miles a day,” said Rita Egendoerfer.

But on November 15th, 2016, her life completely changed after she unknowingly began having a heart attack.

“I had severe pain in the center of my chest,” said Egendoerfer.

She thought what she was feeling was severe heartburn so she decided to do what she always does - walk it off. It was during that walk and within 30 minutes…

“I said ‘I don’t think I can walk this off’. I said ‘you need to take me to the hospital’,” said Egendoerfer.

But instead of going into a panic, she and her husband dialed 911.

“The next thing I knew I was in the emergency room and there were people… just a whole team,” said Egendoerfer.

She’s grateful she made the right choice that morning.

“You know the scary thing is, though, is that you think you do everything right. I would have died,” said Egendoerfer.