On a late August morning in 2018, Cherée Johnson was in her element—preparing for a critical presentation at work. Despite the persistent chest pains tugging at her attention, her focus remained unwavering. As general counsel for W.R. Grace & Co., she was used to pressure. There were people depending on her, deadlines looming and no time to hit pause.

"I was experiencing chest pains, but I was set on pushing through. I remember telling my husband, 'I'll go to the hospital after the presentation,'" Johnson recalls. Luckily, her husband didn't take no for an answer and called an ambulance. That decision saved her life.