Dr. Naesha Parks began her journey with SCAD in 2008 just ten days after giving birth to her son. After experiencing chest pain, she learned that she’d developed blot clots that were lodged in her lungs. Several days later, her doctors discovered that she had a coronary artery dissection which required open heart surgery. En route to surgery, Naesha had a severe heart attack and coded for twenty eight minutes. However, doctors were able to revive her and perform triple bypass surgery. Her journey to recovery soon began.
A former Board member of SCAD Alliance and ongoing advisory council member, Dr. Parks has dedicated her time to bringing awareness to SCAD along with promoting early detection of heart attack symptoms in women. In 2014, she was the American Heart Association’s “American Heart Hero.” Her unique skills in Educational Leadership have allowed her the opportunity to use her experience as a platform for inspirational talks during keynote speaking engagements at schools, churches and universities.
A pivotal moment for Naesha was in January 2015, when she released her book The Heart Feels First, which recounts her entire journey through the eyes of everyone involved in her care and support during her near death experience and recovery. Dr. Parks has ten years of experience in Early Childhood Education and Leadership. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and her Specialist and Doctoral degrees in Educational Leadership. She is currently serving as an administrator in the Columbia County (Georgia) School System.
