Chloe Burke, a former collegiate cheerleader from Texas, has emerged as a passionate advocate for cardiac arrest awareness after surviving a life-threatening episode during a routine at the University of Houston. Now 25 years old, Burke is using her platform as Miss Space City to educate others about the deadly heart disease that almost took her life.

In 2019, while cheering at a game, Burke suddenly collapsed to the ground, unaware that she had been living with a congenital heart condition called myocardial bridging. The incident led to a frantic rush to save her life, including three electric shocks and an intense open-heart surgery that required her chest to be cracked open and her breastbone split in half.

Following a painstaking recovery, Burke remarkably returned to the football field just 11 weeks after her surgery, demonstrating her resilience and dedication to her athletic pursuits. However, the harrowing experience motivated her to raise awareness about cardiac arrest and advocate for legislative action to prevent similar incidents.

Burke has been lobbying for two heart-health bills, the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act and the Access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) Act. These bills aim to introduce CPR lessons in schools and ensure widespread access to AEDs, which can restart hearts using electrical shocks. She recently teamed up with the American Heart Association (AHA) and traveled to Washington, DC, to advocate for these important pieces of legislation.

In addition to her legislative efforts, Burke travels across the state of Texas to discuss the significance of heart health and the importance of advocating for one's medical needs. She hopes to save more Americans from catastrophic heart events by raising awareness and expanding access to life-saving resources.

Burke's journey to her diagnosis of myocardial bridging was arduous, as doctors dismissed her symptoms as those of an over-dramatic hypochondriac. This highlights the challenges women often face in obtaining accurate diagnoses for heart conditions. Despite this setback, Burke has persevered and is now using her experiences to shed light on the disparities in heart-related diagnostic testing for women and men.

Myocardial bridging is a heart defect in which the left artery, responsible for supplying blood and oxygen to the brain and body, is encased within the heart muscle instead of on top of it. While usually harmless, some cases can result in restricted blood flow, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, and even sudden cardiac death.

Burke's advocacy efforts have gained momentum as she continues to work with the AHA to raise awareness about cardiac arrest and promote access to AEDs. Her personal training career thrives, although she must be mindful of her health, regularly monitoring her blood pressure and pacing herself during workouts to prevent exhaustion.

Despite the challenges she has faced, Burke's determination has led to remarkable achievements. She graduated college on time with a perfect GPA and now utilizes her Miss Space City title to spread awareness and educate others about the signs and prevention of cardiac arrest.

As she tirelessly campaigns for legislative change and shares her personal story, Chloe Burke serves as an inspiration and a beacon of hope, aiming to create a proactive culture where quick action can save lives and preserve quality of life in the face of cardiac arrest.