Toni Braxton Says She 'Should Be Dead' After Nearly Suffering Heart Attack but Late Sister Traci Was 'Watching Over' Her

Toni Braxton believes her sister Traci Braxton was her guardian angel during her recent health scare.

At the series premiere The Braxtons On Aug. 9, Toni, 56, was hesitant to tell her sisters Towanda, Trina, Tamar and mother Dr. Evelyn Braxton that she nearly had a heart attack two years after her sister Traci died of esophageal cancer.

“In true Toni style, she invited the family over for dinner and she had something to tell us, but this time when she told us she wanted to talk, her tone was very melancholy and I’m really afraid, because Toni recently had a fear of health,” said Trina, 49. “Toni has always been a loner when it comes to her feelings. She’s never really been a person who just wants everyone to know what’s going on in her life, especially with her health.”

Traci Braxton, Evelyn Braxton, Toni Braxton, Towanda Braxton and Tamar Braxton arrive at the World Premiere of “Twist Of Faith” on February 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

Araya Doheny/WireImage

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However, Toni – who was diagnosed with lupus in 2007 – has another reason for keeping her health issues close to the vest.

“I know I have to tell the girls about the health scare, which makes me feel a certain way, because the last health scare we heard was Traci…” she said. “On the edge of the Strip things, I don’t want to piss them off, [thinking] ‘Oh, is Toni all right?’ So I don’t even want to tell them. Maybe I shouldn’t. I don’t know.”

During the dinner, the “Un-Break My Heart” singer finally revealed the extent of her own health problems. Toni told her family she almost had a heart attack — which the Cleveland Clinic describes as “the type of heart attack where you have a complete blockage of the largest artery in the heart.”

Steve Granitz/WireImage

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Luckily, she said her doctors “caught her right before it happened.” She added: “If I had had a heart attack, I wouldn’t have survived, I wouldn’t be here now.”

As Toni burst into tears, she told her family members that Traci was her guardian angel. She said: “They told me your sister is looking after you because they are right, you should be dead today. He shouldn’t be alive.”

Toni then revealed she would “eventually” need bypass surgery despite having a heart problem.

“I had to have punishment in my heart, which was extremely terrible,” she said in the confessional. “It’s a very scary procedure in itself, but when the doctor told me I might never be able to do a tour again. All right? I had heard it before, but this was different. They say you might never be able to tour again because you might have a heart attack.”

From left: Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, Toni Braxton and Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis at the 2017 Soul Train Awards presented by BET at Orleans Arena on November 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Leon Bennett/Getty ‘The Braxtons’ Trailer: Toni Braxton Returns to Stage After ‘Major Scare’ But ‘Entire Show’ Is in Danger (Exclusive)

Toni told her family about the emotional toll of her health scare, saying: “It’s crazy anxiety. I think about it all the time… It’s really tricky that I’m afraid every day. If I have a heart attack, I won’t survive. I can’t even stand that feeling.”

“Just because they say it, doesn’t mean it’s true,” Towanda replied.

“All I could think about was the boys and I hate to say it out loud even now because it’s real. That’s real life,” Toni added in the confessional, referring to her sons, Denim and Diezel Braxton-Lewis.

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The Braxtons airs Fridays at 9:30pm ET on We TV.

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Source: HIS Education