Star Jones was in the fight of her life to improve her heart health.

The television personality, who’s been candid about her health journey and lifestyle changes over the years, was diagnosed with heart disease in 2010. Following the revelation, Jones, 63, was told that she would need open-heart surgery.

“Anybody that says getting a diagnosis of heart disease doesn't frighten them, is not telling the truth. I was scared,” she recalled. 

“The doctor said, ‘We have to crack your chest and we will disconnect your heart and you'll be on the heart and lung machine. So it made me face my mortality.”

Jones added that while the procedure “saved” her, at one point during the surgery, her heart was “disconnected for 22 minutes.” The former host of “The View” now prioritizes her wellness to ensure that she remains a “heart-healthy person.”

“Once I kind of took my head out of the sand, after two weeks of eyes-wide-open scared, I became Star Jones again,” she explained.

Jones has since made it her lifelong mission to spread heart health awareness as a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association. In February, she returned as a guest on “The View,” as seen above, where she detailed being with the organization for fourteen years.