A California deputy sheriff and new mother experienced a terrifying recurrence of her cardiac condition when her heart stopped while she was delivering a speech at her brother’s wedding reception.
Amanda Simonsen, a resident of Orange County, was celebrating the marriage of her brother Austin to his wife Maddie on September 28. Standing before the wedding guests to express her love and appreciation for her family carried profound emotional weight for Simonsen, who had survived a sudden cardiac arrest earlier in the year.
The initial medical emergency occurred on February 13, 2026, when Simonsen, then 30 years old, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at home while caring for her 4-month-old son. Her husband, Tyler, found her unresponsive and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until emergency responders arrived. Simonsen spent two weeks in the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. She was subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, commonly known as an ICD.
“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.”
On the day of the wedding, Simonsen reported feeling completely normal and attempted to take precautions. However, as she stood up to give her toast, dizziness set in quickly. Within moments, she went into ventricular tachycardia—an abnormally fast heart rhythm originating in the lower chambers that can prevent the heart from effectively pumping blood—before losing consciousness and falling to the floor, where she sustained a head injury.
“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 recalled.
The episode marked her fifth cardiac event since her initial diagnosis in February. Following the collapse, she was transported to a hospital for a computed tomography scan to evaluate her head injury, kept overnight, and discharged the following day.
Despite the medical interruption, Simonsen was determined that her message would reach the newlyweds. She asked the best man to step in and finish reading the toast exactly as she had written it, noting that he successfully delivered the remarks.
“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,” she said. “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.”
Living with ongoing health uncertainties while raising a young child remains a daily challenge. In addition to her ICD, Simonsen takes daily medication and has consulted medical professionals regarding the potential need for an ablation procedure or a future heart transplant.
She has shared her story online to emphasize the critical importance of learning CPR, expressing deep gratitude for her husband’s swift intervention during her February arrest. Both Simonsen and her husband work as first responders.
Reflecting on her recovery, Simonsen emphasized how the experience has altered her perspective on daily life. “Since my cardiac arrest, I notice little details more,” she 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.”
