A heart transplant recipient is raising awareness about gender bias in the medical field.

Jennifer Mayadas-Dering, of Cross River, thought she lived a pretty healthy life as a professional racquetball player.

"I worked out all the time, so I was in fantastic shape. When I got sick, I knew there was something very wrong because I couldn't exercise," Mayadas-Dering says.

Mayadas-Dering says she gained 10 pounds in three days and became so breathless that she couldn't walk across her bedroom.

The problem sent her to the doctor 14 times but was dismissed each visit.

"My doctor sent me to an ENT, twice, saying that it could be vocal cord dysfunction because 'women talk a lot.' I was sent to an allergist [and they said] 'it must just be asthma,'" Mayadas-Dering says.

As her symptoms worsened, she demanded a chest X-ray.

"Sure enough, the chest X-ray showed my heart was extremely enlarged and I had a lot of fluid around my heart and lungs," Mayadas-Dering says.

Eventually, the mom ended up at Westchester Medical Center, where doctors finally took her seriously.

"The first thing the doctor said was 'heart transplant' and I was in absolute disbelief," Mayadas-Dering says.

She eventually got the surgery and is now using her experience to fight against gender bias in the health care field.

Dr. Alan Gass, her doctor at the medical center, says the issue is still a problem - even in 2025.

"Men are looked at as doing more, working harder, [having] higher emotional stress so it's almost like the risk-benefit of identifying that something is wrong is higher in men. I'm not sure," Gass says.

That's why Mayadas-Dering is now urging other women to speak up.

"I've lived in a man's world like my whole life. I was very good at advocating for myself, but even I was dismissed. So, if you're not getting the answers you need, keep asking," Mayadas-Dering says.

She also launched a fundraising campaign called Jen's Heartprints to help other women get the care they deserve.

To learn more about it, click here. https://www2.heart.org/site/TR/HeartBall/FDA-FoundersAffiliate?px=27706218&pg=personal&fr_id=12506