Woman, 30, Says She ‘Runs On Batteries’ And It Is True – News18

A rare genetic heart condition has led this US woman to run on batteries because she has no pulse. Identified as Sofia Heart, the 30-year-old has bravely decided to share the story of her faulty heart with the world using social media. Hailing from Boston, Sofia has undergone a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) surgery to keep her heart pumping. The life-saving medical device protects her from the medical condition called irreversible dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease that leads ventricles to thin, stretch, and grow larger. It was in July when the woman shared her ordeal on TikTok garnering massive support and millions of views.

“Hello, I’m Sofia. I run on batteries, literally, and I don’t have a pulse. I’m a human without a pulse, it’s true. I’m not making it up,” she introduced herself in the video, according to ETimes. The US woman opened up about her open heart surgery last November before reportedly holding up batteries and a remote that controls her life-supporting device. “It’s on a continuous flow,” she said. While shedding light on her rare genetic condition, Sofia added, “I have end-stage heart failure and I’m due for a heart transplant and I’m going to start sharing my story.”

Sofia’s heart condition was identified when she was working at a horse farm. During a recent interaction with People, the woman revealed it all began with her feeling achy and fatigued. “I wasn’t tired in my brain, but my body was so tired,” she told the magazine. Sofia says whenever she’s at home she remains connected to a wall outlet for powering the life-saving medical device that hugs her heart. What’s helpful is that its cord is pretty long. “I have mastered living in places where I can get around on that cord,” she reportedly said.

But when Sofia has to step out of the house, the device gets powered using two batteries and she doesn’t fail to carry spares in case of emergencies. Notably, her twin sister Olivia was also reportedly born with the same genetic heart condition. While Olivia’s faulty heart was detected early on, that wasn’t the case with Sofia. Doctors only recognized her symptoms after she fell ill. Initially, the woman assumed she had Lyme disease until her diagnosis was confirmed by experts.