After undergoing an EKG, O’Donnell discovered that her coronary artery was 99 percent blocked, which is what triggered her heart attack. “Heart disease is the number one killer in women,” according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a CNN interview, “because they don’t recognize the symptoms. The symptoms then progress more, and they’re less likely to survive.” The good news is that O'Donnell rebounded from the health scare. O’Donnell herself refers to her complete recovery as a “miracle,” because she waited so long to seek treatment.
Selena Gomez
Beloved wizard-turned-singer Selena Gomez found herself hospitalized in 2011 with an iron deficiency and severe malnourishment. At the time, she attributed the hospitalization to a love of junk food and a poor diet. However, two years later, Gomez canceled the Asian and Australian legs of her international concert tour to take personal time. Rumors began to fly that the star was battling lupus, a diagnosis confirmed by her grandfather in 2014. Relatives told USA Today that Gomez’s relationship stresses, rehab stint, and grueling work schedule have made managing her life-threatening disease difficult, and that taking time to take care of herself and seek treatment have her “doing well.” The confirmation of her condition came on the star’s return from Nepal, where she had visited as a UNICEF ambassador to raise awareness for children in need, according to the article.
Nick Cannon
For some celebrities, like the multitalented Nick Cannon, health scares come in waves. In 2012, the actor, rapper, and TV host revealed struggles with kidney problems and blood clots in his lungs, called pulmonary embolisms (PEs). The actor stepped down from his radio show, and later revealed that he had been diagnosed with lupus, and a related kidney disease, lupus nephritis. After his second hospitalization for PEs, Cannon took steps to minimize his risk for developing clots, including wearing surgical stockings, taking blood thinners, and other measures.