Shayai Lucero, a Pueblo floral designer with pre-existing heart conditions, recounts her frightening experience when a sudden illness struck while working. Her story underscores the difficulties of accessing timely medical care in rural Native American communities and the importance of community support.
Shayai Lucero, a member of the Pueblo of Acoma and Pueblo of Laguna tribes in New Mexico, experienced a life-altering health crisis while working on a wedding floral arrangement.
Born into the Roadrunner clan and raised with a deep connection to traditional Pueblo healing methods, Shayai is a successful entrepreneur and award-winning floral designer, running Earth & Sky Floral Designs and Gallery for over 16 years. She balances her business with active community involvement in STEM, Native American entrepreneurship, and LGBTQ2S+ advocacy, raising her family alongside her husband Aaron Fry (Cherokee/Chickasaw) in the heart of Pueblo life.
The evening began with a sudden pain between her shoulder blades, followed by nausea. Initially dismissing it as a minor strain or low blood sugar, Shayai quickly realized something was seriously wrong when food tasted 'off.
' This triggered a cascade of concerning symptoms – heartburn and jaw pain – that prompted an immediate trip to the hospital. Shayai has a history of heart conditions, including supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, and had undergone a cardiac ablation in 2000. Her intimate understanding of her body and her heart’s signals immediately alerted her to the severity of the situation.
The urgency of the situation was compounded by their remote location, far from a hospital and with limited emergency medical services. Relying on the strong community bonds of her tribe, Shayai and Aaron were able to leave their children in the care of her parents, who live nearby. During the drive, Shayai’s primary concern wasn’t her own health, but the completion of the wedding floral arrangements and the potential disappointment of the bride.
Upon arrival at the ER, she was immediately triaged, receiving aspirin, nitroglycerine, and an EKG. The swift response underscored the seriousness of her condition, marking the beginning of a challenging medical journey
Native American Health Heart Condition Rural Healthcare Entrepreneurship Pueblo Culture
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