A WOMAN claims to have survived an entire year without a pulse. <\/p>\n

Sofia Hart is kept alive by plugging herself into the mains when she's at home, then running on battery power while out of the house. <\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old has irreversible dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) – a type of heart disease where one side is weaker, which can cause heart failure. <\/p>\n

She is awaiting a transplant. But to help keep blood pumping around her body in the meantime, she uses a life-saving left ventricular assist device\u00a0(LVAD). <\/p>\n

This requires electrical power, or two "very heavy" batteries, and being unplugged could kill her. <\/p>\n

Sofia said in a TikTok video: "I run off batteries, literally, and I don't have a pulse. <\/p>\n

READ MORE HEALTH NEWS<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>MIRACLE <\/span><\/p>\n

Incredible woman 'thawed back to life' after pal found her 'frozen stiff' in snow<\/h3>\n

<\/picture>LIFT OFF <\/span><\/p>\n

Exercise is 'as good as Viagra' at treating erectile dysfunction, scientists find<\/h3>\n

"I'm a human without a pulse. It's true. I'm not making it up.<\/p>\n

"I am on a device – I guess you can just call it a life support device – called an LVAD and it pumps to the left side of my heart.<\/p>\n

"I had open heart surgery at the end of November to implant the device that's inside of me that basically hugs my heart.<\/p>\n

"It's on a continuous flow."<\/p>\n

Most read in Health<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>‘DO NOT EAT’ <\/span><\/p>\n

Sainsbury’s recalls popular snack over fears it could trigger meningitis<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>STEP TO IT <\/span><\/p>\n

Just 22 mins of exercise’slashes early death risk’ – 10 daily tasks that count<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>SWEET ONE <\/span><\/p>\n

Gummies with libido-boosting drug hailed as flop stoppers & works in just minutes<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>HAZARD ALERT <\/span><\/p>\n

Terrifying moment baby nearly chokes on dummy as ex-paramedic issues warning<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite her twin sister Olivia being born with the same condition, Sofia only discovered she had IDC in the summer of 2022 while working on a horse farm.<\/p>\n

Usually upbeat and full of beans, she began to notice her energy levels slump.<\/p>\n

"It was a fatigue that I can't really describe," she told PEOPLE. <\/p>\n

"I wasn't tired in my brain, but my body was so tired and I was out of breath even from driving."<\/p>\n

Initially, she suspected she might have Lyme disease (transmitted by infected ticks), as she could have easily been bitten while outdoors with the animals.<\/p>\n

But after tests at a walk-in clinic and a conversation with Olivia, she learned the true cause of her symptoms. <\/p>\n

Until her transplant, Sofia has to connect to a wall outlet to charge her LVAD, nicknamed 'Janis' after her favourite singer Janis Joplin, which can make it tricky to move around. <\/p>\n

Sofia, who grew up in Martha's Vineyard and now lives in Boston, Massachusetts, US, said: "That cord is pretty long, and I have mastered living in places where I can get around on that cord."<\/p>\n

When she does leave the house, she is "battery powered" – and always carries a spare set just in case. <\/p>\n

Dilated cardiomyopathy is\u00a0a progressive, usually irreversible, disease which impacts the heart's ventricles and lower and upper chambers, according to the American Heart Association. <\/p>\n

It usually begins in the left ventricle – the heart's main pumping chamber – and the muscles begin to stretch and become thinner. <\/p>\n

The problem can then spread, meaning the muscles don't contract normally and the blood can't flow as it should. <\/p>\n

As the heart becomes weaker, heart failure can occur. The most common symptoms include shortness of breath and fatigue. <\/p>\n

Read More on The Sun<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>THAT'S LIT! <\/span><\/p>\n

My 45p trick to keep yourself warm at home this winter – it's super easy to do<\/h3>\n

<\/picture>SEE EU THERE <\/span><\/p>\n

European city once called 'Paris of the East' with \u00a32 pints & water attraction<\/h3>\n

Dilated cardiomyopathy is estimated to affect around one in 250 people, the British Heart Foundation says. <\/p>\n

It is most common in adults under the age of 50, and is the leading cause of heart transplantation. <\/p>\n

\n
\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A WOMAN claims to have survived an entire year without a pulse. Sofia Hart is kept alive by plugging herself<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n