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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A new mother has described the terrifying moment she suffered a cardiac event and collapsed while making a speech at her brother’s wedding.
September 28 marked a monumental day for Amanda Simonsen and her family, as she got to celebrate her brother Austin’s wedding to Maddie. During the reception, Simonsen, who lives in Orange County, California, wanted to make a speech to show her brother and sister-in-law just how much they mean to her and celebrate their special day.
Indeed, Simonsen told Newsweek that standing in front of everyone and expressing her love for her family was incredibly emotional because she was “grateful to be there” following a medical emergency earlier this year.
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On February 13, 2026, Simonsen suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 30 while at home with her 4-month-old son. Her husband, Tyler, found her unresponsive and performed CPR until first responders arrived.
She spent two weeks in hospital and was ultimately diagnosed with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and nonischemic cardiomyopathy and fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The term “idiopathic” is used when no underlying cause is identified.
“Since February, I’ve continued to experience dangerous heart rhythms randomly,” Simonsen said. “Going to the wedding meant carrying that uncertainty, but being there for my brother was incredibly important.
“After surviving a cardiac arrest, milestones carry a different weight. It wasn’t simply another family wedding on the calendar. It was something I hoped I would survive to experience, and I wanted to take it all in.”
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On the day of the wedding, Simonsen, who is a deputy sheriff, said she felt “completely normal” and tried to take it easy. There were no indications of any problems until she stood up to make her speech and began to feel dizzy.
By then, there was little time to react.
“While giving my speech, I went into ventricular tachycardia and got dizzy, then a few seconds later, I lost consciousness. I fell to the ground and hit my head. I remember everything up until that point and woke up in my husband’s arms and knew exactly what had happened,” Simonsen said.
Simonsen experienced ventricular tachycardia, an abnormally fast rhythm originating in the heart’s lower chambers, or ventricles. Sustained ventricular tachycardia can prevent the heart from pumping blood effectively and, in severe cases, can lead to cardiac arrest.
The ICD implanted in her chest continuously monitors her heart rhythm. Such devices are designed to recognize potentially life-threatening ventricular rhythms and deliver electrical therapy, including a shock when necessary, to restore a safer rhythm. ICDs are used to help prevent sudden cardiac death in people at risk of recurrent ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
The wedding incident marked Simonsen’s fifth cardiac event since her initial arrest in February. After collapsing during the speech, she was taken to hospital for a CT scan to evaluate the head injury sustained in the fall. She was kept in overnight and discharged the following day.
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Simonsen told Newsweek: “What makes that moment so emotional is knowing how much it meant just to be standing there. In February, I didn’t know whether I would make it to that wedding. Then, while I was celebrating being there, my heart interrupted that moment too.
“It is emotional to think about the people I love having to witness me collapse, especially during a day that meant so much to our family. Austin and Maddie felt horrible that this happened. Austin immediately came over and hugged me, and it became an emotional moment for us.”
Simonsen was determined, however, that her speech would still be heard. She tasked the best man with finishing it exactly as she had intended and, to her relief, he “absolutely nailed it.”
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Living with the uncertainty of her condition while raising a young child remains difficult. Alongside her ICD, Simonsen takes medication and has discussed the possibility of an ablation procedure or a heart transplant in the future.
She has also shared her experience on TikTok to highlight the importance of learning CPR. Both Simonsen and her husband are first responders, and she remains grateful that he was able to act so quickly when she collapsed in February.
She also wants her story to demonstrate that a cardiac emergency can happen unexpectedly, even to someone who had previously considered themselves healthy. One moment, she was at home with her infant son; soon afterwards, she was lying in a hospital bed wondering whether she would get to see him grow up.
“Since my cardiac arrest, I notice little details more,” Simonsen said. “I try to remember my son’s expressions, the sounds of a happy moment, and how it feels to be surrounded by my family. My husband and my son mean everything to me. I want more time with them, so I’m doing everything I can to be here for it.
“I can be grateful that I survived and still struggle with what surviving has required. I'm doing my absolute best to get out there and be the best mother and wife I can be,” she continued.
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