A Second Chance at a Healthy Heart: Caterina Marro is Named 2026 Cardiac Rehab Patient of the Year

For Caterina Marro, the holiday season of 2024 was meant for baking and celebrating with her family, including her new baby granddaughter. Instead, it marked a terrifying turn of events that would ultimately give her a second chance at life. This February, during Heart Month, Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is proud to honor Caterina as the 2026 Cardiac Rehab Patient of the Year, a testament to her incredible journey of recovery and renewed health.

The weekend before Christmas, while baking with her daughter-in-law, Caterina began experiencing severe back pain. She dismissed it as a consequence of her busy holiday preparations. For about a week, she also endured intense headaches and pain in her left arm, attributing it to overexertion. The morning of December 16th, however, was different. "I felt like a ton of bricks was on me, and the pain in my arm was overwhelming," she recalls. She immediately told her husband to call an ambulance. By the time they arrived, she couldn't feel her arm at all and was struggling to breathe.

Rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center, a hospital nationally recognized for its outstanding cardiac care, Caterina learned she had two 90% blockages in her coronary arteries. The swift actions of the emergency responders who administered nitroglycerin and the expertise of Dr. Huazhen Chen, who inserted two stents, saved her life. HUMC has been recognized by the American College of Cardiology(ACC) for its commitment to high-quality cardiovascular care and has received Accreditation as an ACC Chest Pain Center and a HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence. Caterina’s heart attack was a wake-up call. She has a family history of heart disease; both her father and brother had conditions like atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease. High cholesterol also runs in her family. After retiring in 2023 from a high-stress but active job as a banquet manager, her eating habits had taken a turn for the worse. "I stopped cooking and started eating fast food, pizza, etc.," she admits. "I gained a lot of weight. It was not healthy—fried food, fast food, no veggies."

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States with someone having a heart attack every 40 seconds,” says Diane Richard, RN, with HUMC's Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation Center. “Sadly, statistics show approximately 1 in 5 of these patients will be readmitted to the hospital for a second cardiac event within five years but this doesn’t have to be the case,” says Diane who, with her team, recommends cardiac rehabilitation to all patients, including Caterina.

“Cardiac rehab can’t change the past, but it can absolutely help to improve a patient’s future,” says Diane. Nationally, only 20% of eligible patients participate in cardiac rehab, but Medicare and the CDC is working to bump that up to 70%, due to the positive outcomes that participants achieve–less hospitalizations, less recurrent events and reduced mortality. Initially, Caterina was hesitant. At 187 pounds, the thought of a 12-week program was daunting. "I didn't know if I could handle this," she says. But with the encouragement of the cardiac rehab team, whom she calls her "cheerleaders," Caterina found her motivation.

"The team at HUMC’s cardiac rehab got me motivated," she says. The program, which includes medically supervised exercise, nutritional counseling, and risk factor modification, provided the guidance she needed. The nutritionists were a great help, and she started to see the weight come off - 21 or 22 pounds in just 12 weeks.

HUMC’s Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation Center team includes registered nurses with critical care experience, exercise physiologists and a registered dietitian. The nationally certified program includes medically prescribed and supervised exercise, risk factor modification counseling and a follow-up exercise program to maintain a heart healthy lifestyle. The cardiac rehab team help patients return to their highest possible level of function, independence and quality of life after a cardiac event. The team helps patients with heart disease develop individualized treatment goals by achieving:

• Improved fitness
• Return to daily functioning
• Heart healthy nutrition guidelines
• Learning how to meet the target goals for risk reduction
• Strategies to make behavior changes
• Stress Management
• Reduced cardiac symptoms
• An exercise plan they maintain on their own
• Reduced mortality risk
• Smoking cessation program

The team at the Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation Center said they selected Caterina for her exceptional commitment to transforming her health after her heart attack in December of 2024. "Caterina's transformation was remarkable," says Diane Richard, RN, with HUMC's Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation Center. "She came to us having just quit smoking and completely embraced the process of change. It's incredibly difficult to lose 20 pounds while also staying smoke-free, but she did it. She developed new coping skills for stress and truly embraced exercise, improving her endurance significantly. Caterina embodies all the hard work necessary not only to prevent another cardiac event but to thrive in a healthy new lifestyle."

Inspired by her progress, Caterina started going to the gym and now walks every day, creating healthy habits that have become second nature. "You become addicted to other things now," she jokes. "I weigh myself every day and I must get my steps in."

The program also reignited her passion for cooking. "I used to eat well and I used to cook, and I am starting to do that again after cardiac rehab," she shares. "Along the way, you get so busy in life, you order pizza, you don't feel like cooking. This is a second chance now."

For Caterina, this second chance is about more than just her own health; it's about being there for her family. A grandmother to a little girl and now a little boy, with three adult sons, she is grateful for the future. She also found unexpected camaraderie in the program, making friends and appreciating the shared encouragement.

Caterina’s story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to make a change. While many people who experience a cardiac event don't take advantage of rehabilitation programs, her journey shows the profound impact that the right help and guidance can have. She highly recommends the cardiac rehab program at HUMC, and her transformation is an inspiration to all.

Congratulations to Caterina Marro, a woman who turned a moment of crisis into a lifetime of health and happiness.

To find out more about HUMC’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, call 551-996-3589.