written By Megin Potter | Photos PROVIDED
[From the 2025 Spring Magazine]
Every 40 seconds, an American suffers a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) but the average age of a first heart attack for men is 65 years old; for women, 72. Erin Fortin was just 37 when she had a stroke.
From the outside, she seemed like the pinnacle of health. Erin, the founder of Erin Fortin Photography (EFP), is a successful bicoastal businesswoman, with studios in her former hometown of Portland, OR and in Saratoga Springs. She is also a mother of two, a non-smoker, and a lifelong runner who eats a nutritious diet.
On July 26, 2024, she went out for a run with her husband, Brian, and had a stroke.
Everything Instantly Went Black
Both Erin and Brian are competitive long-distance runners. Five minutes into their run, Erin suddenly lost her ability to see. Within minutes, Erin, a regular migraine sufferer, thought she was having the worst headache of her life.
Brian carried her home. Erin took her migraine medicine and tried to nap when she began vomiting and experiencing unexplained confusion. This was the final red-flag for Brian. He drove Erin to the emergency room where her work-up confirmed that she’d had a stroke due to a congenital ASD-PFO heart defect.
“There was a glaring, giant hole in my heart,” said Erin. The hole had allowed a blood clot to reach her brain. It’s a condition every 1 in 4 people are born with, she learned, and while the majority close up on their own, hers had not.
Set-up for Success
To close the hole in her heart, two different cardiologists attempted two different minimally-invasive procedures. Both were unsuccessful and Erin was scheduled for open heart surgery.
Both Erin and Brian have doctorate degrees in chemistry and took a straightforward, clinical approach to explaining her condition to their young children, friends, and family. To set herself up for success, Erin learned what to expect through virtual classes offered by the Cleveland Clinic. After her stroke and before heart surgery, she stopped running and closely monitored her symptoms (having one stroke greatly increases the risk of having another).
Like with any other major life-threatening operation, she signed an advance directive. Going into surgery, Erin felt nervous but confident and well-supported, she said. Because of her healthy lifestyle, her doctors expected a slam-dunk.
Then It All Changed
After her successful heart surgery, Erin spent 24 hours in the Cleveland Clinic’s ICU and five days in a recovery room. Her surgery had gone flawlessly but for Erin, everything had changed.
“I had to relearn how to swallow, to walk, to lift my hands above my waist,” she said. She was embarrassed by her brain fog and short-term memory loss but by following her doctor’s orders, she took resting seriously and managed her pain, allowing her body to heal.
Recovering next to other survivors twice her age was a humbling experience, said Erin.
“I looked like myself; my friends and family said I sounded like myself; but I didn’t feel like myself,” she said.
After a month, Erin was well enough to drive to the gas station but didn’t have enough strength in her hand to hold the lever on the gas pump. Even grocery shopping was too exhausting for her weakened body.
“It was a humbling reminder to be kind because there are so many people walking around with invisible disabilities that we aren’t aware of,” she said.
The Resilient Human Spirit
Every day was hard but Erin persisted with cardiac rehab therapy in Saratoga and within three months, she was back to normal (she had been told it could take up to a year to feel 100% again).
“Be stubborn in the pursuit of healing”, a friend had said. Erin kept that mantra in mind as recovery was not linear.
In February, Erin enthusiastically returned to her EFP Saratoga clients and studio on Broadway. Thanks to her close family, friends, and the legendary EFP Portland team in Oregon, she felt extremely geographically and emotionally supported. “My priorities became crystal clear,” she said.
In addition to focusing on her family, health, and business, Erin also advocates that everyone protects their heart with preventative screenings.
Ask her anything about her experience and follow her journey on Instagram @erinfortinphoto
Every minute counts once you’ve had a stroke. Watch for warning signs and “BE FAST”!
Balance: Loss of balance, headache, or dizziness.
Eyes: Sudden loss of vision, double vision,
or blurriness.
Face: One side of the mouth droops.
Arms: Sudden loss of coordination, numbness, or weakness.
Speech: Slurred speech, difficulty speaking or swallowing, unexplained confusion.
Time: If experiencing symptoms, call 911 immediately and note the time they began so this information can be given to emergency personnel.
