PINNACLE, N.C. — Stephanie Bowden is a 27-year-old heart survivor from Pinnacle, North Carolina.
At 11 years old, she was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This is a genetic condition where the heart muscle thickens, making it harder for the heart to pump.
"I was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at the age of 11," Bowden said. "My mom was diagnosed in her late 30s and then after that, she made sure her children got tested."
Her mother also had the same condition before passing away from a heart attack in February of 2022.
"My mom passed in February of 2022 and she had complications from surgery, which led to a blood clot related to her heart condition and then it caused a heart attack," she said. "The loss of her made me advocate so much more for the American Heart Association."
Bowden had her first open heart surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s Hospital at just 14 years old.
In this surgery, doctors shaved her heart muscle and put in a defibrillator.
"Being diagnosed at such a young age, I always said that I had no idea what the magnitude of that was at the time and I've learned more of that into adulthood," she said. "At the age of 14, I had open heart surgery and a defibrillator placed. I was just super tired all the time I would come home from school and just gonna go to sleep and then I could kind of feel my heart flutter and things like that. Getting the defibrillator at my age, I was such a good candidate for it because my grandpa and my mom had defibrillators as well."
That defibrillator was put to the test last year.
This condition will forever impact her life.
"Being diagnosed so young, it does have an impact on you and going through so many medical procedures and things like that," she said.
Not only did Bowden have this heart condition, but so did her mother and grandfather before passing away. Her sister is also currently dealing with it too.
"Just to see some of the things that my mom and grandfather struggled with, with their hearts, and then to know now that I'm advocating for those things to be better, I know that my mom and my grandpa would both be super proud of me," she said.
It's something Bowden now wants more people to recognize and that no matter how young you are, it's never too soon to get checked out.
"A lot of women don't even realize that one in three women will die of cardiovascular disease and I think the craziest thing is that heart disease takes more women's lives than all forms of cancer combined, and a lot of women don't even know that," she said. "If we just joined the movement and be more a part of our heart health in answers, and things like that, then living along full life is all within reason."
She is using her experience with this condition and working to help others.
"I was always like, wow, this could be done better or that could be done better and so although I don't work directly in cardiac research, I work in public health research, which is helping the whole population just better the outcomes, which in return does help cardiac health," she said. "Now work in the research field. I work for the same hospital that saved my life."
Bowden currently works at the hospital where her life was saved, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
She said over the years, she has supported scientists who are studying heart disease, which has been a passion of hers since she was diagnosed.
"I'm gonna live a long, happy, healthy life and I'm not missing out on any of it," she said. "The research is so crucial. Advocating with the American Heart Association is so crucial."
Bowden is also a part of the 2024 Go Red for Women Class of Survivors. She shares her story nationally, advocating for a better outcome for all those dealing with heart challenges.