80-year-old North Texas grandmother survives massive blood clot, credits CPR, quick action during heart month

An 80-year-old North Texas grandmother is sharing her survival story during Heart Month, crediting quick action, CPR and advanced medical care with saving her life after a massive blood clot caused her heart to stop.

Linda Potthoff of University Park says she had been short of breath for weeks before her condition suddenly worsened.

"I was laying in bed, I couldn't get up," Potthoff said.

She told her husband to call 911. At the hospital, doctors determined she had suffered a saddle pulmonary embolism — a large blood clot lodged at the base of her lungs that blocked blood flow to her heart. During treatment, her heart stopped.

"They did 45 minutes of CPR on me," Potthoff said. "Broke six ribs."

Physicians later confirmed the clot had covered both her lungs and heart, preventing her from getting oxygen. Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Andres Leal and his team placed Potthoff on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, machine, which temporarily acts as an artificial heart and lungs.

"I think it's a miracle that she made it, number one, because of her age," Leal said.

Fourteen days later, Potthoff walked out of the hospital.

Leal said her decision to speak up about her symptoms, along with a lifetime of healthy habits, helped improve her odds.

"You take care of yourself, then you're more prepared, your body's more prepared to face the unexpected," he said.

Her recovery stunned family members. Granddaughter Everett Heis said she feared the worst.

"I thought maybe the last time I saw her was the last time I was ever going to see her," Heis said.

Now, Heis is channeling that fear into action. She is helping launch a heart health challenge at school tied to the American Heart Association, focused on teaching CPR and heart-healthy habits.

"We learned CPR in health class, and I was like, 'This saved my grandma's life. It can happen to anybody,'" Heis said.

The American Heart Association says hands-only CPR can double or even triple a person's chance of survival when performed immediately after cardiac arrest.

Potthoff said the prolonged CPR she received was critical.

"I say the miracle was the right people God put in place, but also the CPR they put on me for that long that got me to the right people," she said. "It renews your faith."

The American Heart Association's Heart Month theme this year, "You Are the First Responder Until Help Arrives," emphasizes that saving a life does not require medical training: only basic knowledge and the willingness to act.

Potthoff said she hopes her story encourages others to trust their instincts, seek medical care when something feels wrong and learn CPR.

"It can mean a second chance," she said.