Marissa Fattore, 21, had a stroke at her graduation ceremony. On her college graduation day, Marissa Fattore woke up feeling "off." CVST occurs when blood clots block the venous sinuses in the brain, stopping blood from draining out. No more than 10 in 10,000 people a year develop blood clots as a result of being on birth control, according to Cleveland Clinic, compared to the 1 to 5 per 10,000 people who develop blood clots each year and aren't on hormonal birth control. She wants people to know that cardiovascular disease can happen to anyone and that learning the warning signs could help save a life.

---

Persons: Marissa Fattore, Fattore, she'd, Pratima Gupta Organizations: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, American Heart Association, Women Class, of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences, UC San Diego Health, Cleveland Clinic