When Lakeisha Brown began experiencing chest pressure, migraines, nausea, and heart palpitations in early 2018, she did what patients are told to do: she sought medical help. An urgent care visit later that year suggested anxiety, though staff still recommended she see a cardiologist.
That dismissal of symptoms, Brown now says, was the beginning of a six-year medical odyssey that would see her heart function plummet to six percent, her organs begin to fail, and her life depend on a transplant.
Today, the 44-year-old African American mother of four from Houston is rebuilding her life with a new heart, but she is speaking out about what she calls missed opportunities that could have caught her condition earlier.
A Shocking Diagnosis
A subsequent heart scan revealed that Brown’s heart was pumping at only about 20 percent, far below the normal range of 55 to 70 percent. Doctors diagnosed her with nonischemic cardiomyopathy, a condition that weakens the heart muscle and reduces blood flow. She was told she had the heart of a 90-year-old.
In May 2018, physicians implanted a pacemaker and prescribed medication to manage fluid buildup. Despite the diagnosis, Brown continued working full-time at the Houston Housing Authority while also building a catering business.
Rapid Deterioration
For several years, Brown managed her condition. But in August 2021, she returned to the hospital after experiencing severe palpitations and nausea. Emergency room tests revealed she had suffered a heart attack. She was discharged after seven days with diuretics, but her symptoms did not improve.
By December 2021, her condition had worsened dramatically. Brown went back to the hospital, where doctors delivered devastating news: her organs were beginning to fail, and her heart function had dropped to just six percent. She would need a heart, lung, and kidney transplant.
“I just could not believe that I went from, ‘Oh, you need a pacemaker’ to, ‘You’ve got, like, maybe nine months to live,’” Brown told Today. “I was devastated.”
The Wait for a Transplant
In January 2022, doctors implanted a left ventricular assist device called the HeartMate 3 to help her heart pump blood while she waited for a donor.
Her medical crisis deepened in September 2024, when her left lung collapsed. The complication moved her higher on the transplant waiting list. In November 2024, she received a new heart.
Following the transplant, Brown experienced mild rejection, which doctors successfully treated. The immunosuppressive medication later caused diabetes, adding another health challenge to her recovery.
A New Chapter
Despite the setbacks, Brown has returned to work. She now runs her catering business full-time and serves as a culinary instructor for girls aging out of foster care. She also supports men in transitional homes while continuing to rebuild her strength and health.
She is direct about what she believes went wrong.
“There were so many things the doctors should have noticed and missed,” she said.
A Warning for Women of Color
Brown now encourages others, particularly women of color, to advocate for themselves during medical visits. Research has consistently shown that Black patients are less likely to have their pain and symptoms taken seriously compared to white patients, a disparity that contributes to worse health outcomes.
“I will tell people to have someone with you at your medical appointments,” Brown advised. “If you don’t know what questions to ask, have someone there with you.”
She says she now pays closer attention to her own body and urges other women to do the same.
Her story has drawn attention to the broader issue of diagnostic bias in cardiac care. According to the American Heart Association, Black women are nearly 60 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than white women and are at higher risk of heart failure, yet studies show they are less likely to be referred for advanced cardiac interventions.
Brown survived. But she wonders how many others have not.
