'Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up' Debuts on HBO

On Valentine's Day, February 14, HBO Documentary Films presents "Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up," a hybrid form of standup comedy inspired by O'Donnell's recent near-fatal heart attack.

"I wanted to raise awareness about women's heart disease, since I found out the hard way that I knew nothing about the number-one killer of women," said O'Donnell.

In a comic and touching performance, she shares her experience with heart disease, the leading cause of death among American women, and explores topics ranging from the challenges of raising five children to her obsession with Barbra Streisand.

A unique fusion of comedy, confession and life-saving information, "Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up," finds one of America's most beloved comedians using a familiar platform -- the stand-up stage -- to deliver an important message when it debuts on Valentine's Day.

More women die from heart disease each year in the U.S. than from all forms of cancer combined, making it the leading cause of death among American women. But the majority of them don't call 911 at the first sign of heart trouble.

After a raucous stand-up act, O'Donnell opens up about her life-changing 2012 medical emergency with characteristic candor. Not realizing she was exhibiting the key symptoms of a major heart attack for women, which are different from those experienced by men, she didn't seek treatment for two days. Against all odds, she survived.

In "Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up," she stands up to heart disease, revealing life-saving facts to help women at risk. O'Donnell closes the show by sharing a useful acronym of her own creation -- HEPPP -- to help women remember the symptoms of a heart attack: Hot, Exhausted, Pain, Pale and Puke.

Between the pathos and laughs, she offers this critical message: "Please call 911, know the signs and save yourself."

Taped at the Levity Live Comedy Club inside the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack, NY, the special showcases O'Donnell's skills as a laugh-out-loud stand-up comedian, while incorporating a vital message literally near and dear to her heart. A newly remarried wife and the mother of five, she shares her hilarious and earnest take on the joys and trials of family life, her ongoing infatuation with Barbara Streisand, her second chance at marriage with wife Michelle, and everything in-between.

O'Donnell's return to the stage is an honest, hilarious and intimate take on life. "Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up," was written by Rosie O'Donnell; directed and produced by Dan Chaykin.

Director of photography Sam Painter was joined by editor Geof Bartz; producer Larissa Bills; supervising producer, Jacqueline Glover; and executive producers, Sheila Nevins and Rosie O'Donnell.

The documentary will be re-aired regularly on HBO through March 7.