Sydney mum Liza Stearn owes her life to quick-thinking husband

When Sydney mother Liza Stearn complained about “feeling unwell” with a pain down her left arm, her husband Lawrence insisted on calling an ambulance. Mrs Stearn was reluctant to do so, but just three minutes later she went into cardiac arrest.

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This Valentine’s Day, Liza Stearn’s heart belongs to her husband Lawrence — literally as well as figuratively.

She is only here to celebrate the day after his quick thinking and knowledge of heart attack symptoms saved her life when she went into cardiac arrest while they were househunting.

The Rose Bay mother of two led a healthy and active lifestyle but that day she complained of feeling “off” with a pain down her left arm and her husband insisted on calling an ambulance.

“I was saying: ‘No, how embarrassing, we’ll just go to the doctor’ because I didn’t want to make a fuss,” the 45-year-old told The Sunday Telegraph.

Lawrence and Liza Stearn with children Lochie and Ella. Mrs Stearn owes her life to husband Lawrence, who recognised his wife was about to have a heart attack. Picture: Tracey Nearmy

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But three minutes after the paramedics arrived, Mrs Stearn went into cardiac arrest.

“When the ambulance arrived I flatlined, they worked on me for half an hour with CPR and gave me seven shots of the defibrillator and on the seventh shot they finally got a pulse back,” Mrs Stearn said.

Mr Stearn watched in horror.

“I thought she was gone,” the 52-year-old dentist said.

“After 18 minutes of CPR I thought they were going to call it and she was not coming back.”

Mrs Stearn was diagnosed with a specific type of heart attack known as spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), caused when one of the blood vessels in the heart tears and blood forms a blockage.

One in four heart attacks in women under 50 are caused by SCAD and the majority of these are healthy with no known risk factors.

After six weeks in hospital, with three stents put in and an internal defibrillator fitted, Mrs Stearn has made a good recovery.

Dr Inken Martin from the Victor Change Cardiac Research Institute. Picture: Belinda Rolland

“He is such an over-reactor with everything, you know, every illness he thinks the worst, but this time it paid off and he does remind me often he saved my life,” she said.

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is urging people to make Valentine’s Day more meaningful by encouraging Australians to protect the hearts of the people they love.

Dr Inken Martin from the VCCRI, said Victor Chang Heart Health Check data reveals one in three people have one or more modifiable risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

“Heart disease sadly claims the life of one in three Australians prematurely, but we have the power to change that,” said Dr Inken Martin from the VCCRI.

“Women are getting their breasts scanned, men check their prostates but Australians aren’t seeing heart health screening as a similar priority,” Dr Martin said.

“We urge people to encourage their loved ones this Valentine’s Day to visit their doctor for a simple heart health check. By doing this today, you can save heartache tomorrow.”

Originally published as Sydney mum Liza Stearn owes her life to quick-thinking husband