LONDON, Ohio — On Dec. 18th, 2018, Jane Beathard was putting up Christmas decorations on her front door, when of nowhere, a strange and intense pain started in her chest, traveled up both sides of her neck and out the top of her head. 

“Unlike anything I have ever experienced before,” said Beathard, a London, Ohio resident, about her life-threatening medical scare. 

What You Need To Know

  • London resident Jane Beathard suffered a life-threatening aortic aneurysm with dissection in 2018 at age 71 
  • The genetic condition can affect men and women at any age, those with high blood pressure, who are smokers, or who have diabetes 
  • February 13th is known as Aortic Aneurysm Awareness Day 

So Beathard called her boyfriend who was out of town and good friend Connie, who lives just around the corner, and the two headed to the emergency room at Madison Health in London.   

“The doctor came in, said you're not having a heart attack. We don't see any heart attack symptoms here," said Beathard. "But she did see something in the bloodwork she didn't like. There was an enzyme." 

A CAT scan revealed an aneurysm next to her heart, which was spurting blood and a split in her aorta. 

Beathard was life-flighted to Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center and had to undergo seven hours of life-saving surgery. 

“I was just astonished that you can have something that serious and have just such mild symptoms. And if there's one thing that I have now learned and everybody I know has taken this to heart, we always go get things checked out,” said Beathard. 

Dr. Mokadam is the Division Director of Cardiac Surgery at The Wexner Medical Center, and Beathard's Cardiologist.

“Her condition is a complicated one, it's not easy to manage and takes a lot of resources,” said Mokadam. 

He said during an aortic aneurysm the walls thin out, and similar to a garden hose, there are three layers. 

“So when the aorta enlarges, and forms an aneurysm, and the walls thin out, all of those layers thin out also. You can get a tear inside one of those layers," said Mokadam. "When you get a tear in there, it's called an aortic dissection. Some people never make it to the hospital. The ones that do, if left untreated, have a 1% chance of dying every hour."

Mokadam said the condition is rare, but hypertension and a history of smoking increases the odds of rupture or disinfection. 

There is also a genetic component to it, he said it is important to know your immediate family's medical history.

“If you have a family member who has a history of an aneurysm, or who has died from an aneurysm, it is very reasonable for you to ask your doctor if you should be screened,” said Mokadam. 

Now 75 years old, Beathard, a retired Public Information Officer at the State Health Department and journalism major, remains active, and monitors her health. 

She continues to write for two magazine publications and volunteers at Madison Health in her hometown. 

The Ohio State University graduate says she's grateful for her friend Connie's quick actions four years ago, continues to court her blessings, and advocates for aortic aneurysm awareness. 

“I like to give back to the hospital that basically saved my life between them and the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center," said Beathard. "Absolutely would like to see more research done on this. You know you want to always go get these things checked out."