CRANBERRY TWP — What began as a dizzy spell for a woman while riding in the car ended with a frightening series of panic attacks over serious health issues.

Emma Bugel, a 22-year-old Penn State Erie, The Behrend College student from Valencia and spokesperson for the American Heart Association, will share her story at the 2012 Cranberry Heart Walk at 9 a.m. Sept. 15 in Cranberry Woods.

Bugel's odyssey began in July 2011 when she remembers feeling dizzy while riding in her mother's car. After an ambulance ride during which her heart stopped beating twice, a battery of tests at the hospital revealed Bugel suffered from ventricular tachycardia caused by premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs.

PVCs are heartbeats that occur earlier than they should, interrupting the heart's rhythm. Doctors discovered Bugel's PVCs were coming from one focal point inside her heart, and were able to disconnect the source of the abnormal rhythm through a procedure called ablation. An internal cardioverter-defibrillator also was installed near Bugel's heart, and she returned home after a week in the hospital.

While she was given a clean bill of health and required no medication or restrictions in her diet or exercise, anxiety from the overwhelming incident clawed at Bugel.

She began experiencing panic attacks when she returned to college, but several counseling sessions allowed Bugel to move on.

One advantage that came from her unexpected and trying journey, said Bugel, was connecting with other survivors through the American Heart Association.

“I know now that I'm not alone with my heart condition,” Bugel said. “I have found a greater respect for and appreciation of life and want to help other survivors.”

Bugel will detail her journey through heart disease at the Cranberry Heart Walk, where funds will be raised for research into conditions like the one that could have turned out much worse for her if not for medical advances.

“It has become my desire to raise awareness for the American Heart Association and to advocate just how important donations are,” Bugel said. “If it weren't for donations toward research, I can personally say that I would not be here today.”

The American Heart Association is the second largest financial supporter of heart and stroke research, behind only the federal government.

“I am here because of the medical advances of the American Heart Association and the dedicated people who donate their time, money and energy to those of us who need it,” said Bugel.

More information on the Cranberry Heart Walk is available at www.heart.org/cranberrywalk.