Meet Sacha Taylor. At just nine days old she went into cardiac arrest and almost died.

Fortunately, her dad performed CPR and saved her life.

Taylor lived with heart disease during her early childhood.

By age 19, her heart murmur had subsided. “I was told I’d live a healthy, normal life,” she said.

But when she was just 26 years old she found out she had high blood pressure – a symptom which often leads to heart attack.

“It was shocking and I was devastated,” she said.

Taylor has lost an uncle and grandfather to heart disease. Her mom had two heart attacks.

A wife and mother, Taylor new she had to make a change.

She gave up fast food, altered her diet, and avoids processed foods by shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, but she is still takes medication to manage her condition.

A five-year American Heart Association volunteer, she is now dedicated to encouraging women to be proactive about their heart health.

Taylor was encouraged by the Bakersfield chapter to submit her story and apply to become a national spokeswoman for Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.

She decided to give it a try.

A few weeks later she was selected to be part of the 2016-2017 class of "Real Women."  

This group of women from all over the U.S. will share their personal stories and encourage women to take a proactive role in their health.

Taylor hopes that her story helps save a life.