A widow from Pinebrook, NJ, Johnson owns her own business, R.A Johnson, Inc., which is a wholesale distributor of gas turbine jet engine parts. Not the most likely business for a lady to be in, but Leona is anything but typical.

She works every day from 6 am to 5 pm and keeps up a hectic schedule doing accounting on her computer, working with customers, and serving as a liaison between sales and administration. It's a family business and she loves it.

Being so active, Johnson had also always been very healthy. That's why it was unusual that on September 15, 2001, she had a headache. She had been watching her grandson play ice hockey, but decided that she should probably head home.

She drove home unaware that she was having a heart attack. When she arrived, she suggested that a family member take her to the emergency room. Then she told them to call 911 instead. That was the last thing she remembers.

Paramedics had to shock her three times with a defibrillator to bring her back to life.

Later, her doctor performed an angioplasty, but the plaque within her arteries was very solidified. Her doctor was worried she may have another heart attack within a few weeks. That was when it was determined that she was a prime candidate for the LifeVest wearable defibrillator.

The LifeVest was still undergoing research, but Johnson liked the idea of testing something that might help others.

"I would really recommend this to anyone that needs it," she says now. "I just think it's a magnificent invention."

Johnson said the LifeVest definitely gave both her and her family a sense of security. "I'm not a worrywart about anything," she said, "but it did make me feel better. It was like my buddy."

It also comforted her doctor, since Johnson insisted on returning back to work only two weeks after she left the hospital.

Johnson said the LifeVest was very comfortable. "It was just like putting on a piece of clothing. It didn't interfere with my activities at all."

Johnson wore the vest for 6 months, until her doctors felt she was no longer at high risk for cardiac arrest.

Today, Johnson says she feels great. Sure, sometimes after working an 11-hour day and then doing her cardio rehab exercises she feels a little tired, but her doctor says she is doing amazingly well.

Fortunately, the vest never had to administer a shock to her, but it did help her get back on her feet. "I miss it," she says now. "It may sound strange, but it was like a part of me."