BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A nurse in Birmingham, coping with the death of her son and facing her own health struggles, was recently honored with the DAISY Award -- given to nurses who go above and beyond the call of duty.

While she's grateful, she hopes her story can help save more lives.

Catherine Perry's son was in his 20s when he died of a heart attack.

According to the CDC, there has been a 66% increase in heart attack rates in people 18-44 years old.

Now, Perry is raising awareness about the risks while taking care of her own patients.

Every day, Perry walks down the halls of Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital where she works as a Registered Nurse III. The same place, just over a year ago, she received a call no mother ever wants to get.

"My son told me one day he was having a headache. I never thought it was related to his heart," Perry said.

Her son Fredrick celebrated his 29th birthday August 4.

"August the 7th is when my son passed. I was here at work. I received a phone call from my mother, and she said, 'I need you to come home. The fire department is still working on your child.' And I immediately knew something was wrong," said Perry.

She says he was seemingly healthy -- he was active and ate well.

"When the autopsy came back, it showed that he had heart problems. He didn't know he had heart problems. So I want to kind of educate people, let them know signs and symptoms to look for," Perry said.

Perry says she dreamed of becoming a nurse since she was four years old, but her journey to get there hasn't been easy.

"I did not become a nurse until 33, though, but it was a struggle. At the time, my kids were small, but I kept going. I did not stop. I trust God, and I knew that eventually I would get my degree, and I did," Perry said.

A few months after the death of her son, she was back at work when Perry suffered a medical emergency of her own... She was having a stroke. It started with a pounding headache, then part of her face went numb.

"When I was having the headache, I instantly knew something was wrong. And then when I got the blurry vision, I was like, 'OK, yes, this doesn't feel right.' And me being a nurse, I was able to recognize it -- okay, I'm really having a stroke right now," Perry said.

Now, while pursuing her nurse practitioner credentials, she's had to overcome some of the most challenging personal hardships.

"I lost my son during that process, and I kept going because I knew my son would want me to keep going. So even through that process, I turned around, I had my stroke. I did not give up," Perry said.

Perry was given the DAISY Award for inspiring others with her dedication.

"That just made me want to just keep moving, keep going, and keep doing what I do -- loving my patients and just being here for everybody that's been there for me," she said.

Perry wants to remind everyone to listen to your body -- no one knows how you're feeling better than you. If something doesn't feel right, go to the doctor. The earlier you get in, the better your chances are.