WORKING ON A UNIVERSAL FLU
VACCINE TO GIVE LONG LASTING
PROTECTION AGAINST ALL FLU
VIRUSS.
FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART
MONTH.
EVERY YEAR HEART DISEASE
LEADS TO ONE IN FOUR DEATHS.
MEDICAL RESEARCH HAS ENABLED
DOCTORS TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL
TREATING CONDITIONS LIKE HEART
FAILURE.
TODAY A NORTH BRANCH WOMAN
SHARES HER BATTLE WHICH LED TO A
LIFE SAVING HEART TRANSPLANT.
ANGELA DAVIS SPOKE TO HER.
I WAS BORN WITH IT AND IT
DIDN'T AFFECT MY LIFE UNTIL I
WAS 26.
Reporter: HEATHER PETERSON IS
NOW 33 AND REFLECTING ON HOW SHE
SURVIVED TWO GENETIC DISORDERS
THAT CAUSE HEART FAILURE.
SHE WAS ACTIVE AS A TEEN AND
INTO HER 20s.
SHE HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A
PROBLEM WITH HER HEART UNTIL SHE
WENT FOR A RUN ONE DAY.
I WAS FEELING LIKE I WAS
STILL SPRINTING FOR A LONG
PERIOD OF TIME, LIKE YOUR HEART
IS JUST POUNDING OUT OF YOUR
CHEST.
AND YOU'RE FULLY RESTED.
FULLY RESTED?
SHE HAD HEART FAILURE MEANING
HER HEART WASN'T PUMPING AS
EFFICIENTLY AS IT SHOULD AND
CAUSING DAMAGE.
AFTER YEARS OF TREATMENT, SHE
WOULD NEED A NEW HEART TO
SURVIVE.
FIVE MONTHS AGO HEATHER HAD A
HEART TRANSPLANT.
THE RECOVERY PROCESS IS I
THINK A THIRD OF WHAT IT IS OR
WHAT IT WAS FASTER.
Reporter: TRANSPLANT SUCCESS
RATE IS, FOR SOMEONE MY AGE AND
BEING HEALTHY IS, LIKE, 90%, SO
I WAS REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO
KNOW THAT I WAS IN GOOD HANDS.
HEATHER IS NOW A VOLUNTEER
WITH THE AMERICAN HEART
ASSOCIATION AND CREDITS IT WITH
HELPING FUND THE RESEARCH THAT
ALLOWED HER DOCTORS TO SAVE HER
LIFE.
SHE STILL SEES A NEED FOR MORE
HEART DISEASE AWARENESS.
ESPECIALLY SINCE WITH WOMEN'S
SYMPTOMS, THEY'RE SO DIFFERENT
THAN MEN'S SYMPTOMS THAT JUST
LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW THAT IT
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE PAIN DOWN
THE ARM.
IT CAN JUST BE AN ANXIETY OR
SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
THERE WERE 75 HEART
TRANSPLANTS IN MINNESOTA LAST
YEAR AND ARE HOSPITALIZED
BECAUSE OF HEART FAILURE.
HEATHER PETERSON IS TAKING PART
IN THE FUNDRAISER FOR THE
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
SHE IS WALKING THE RUN WAY IN
THE RED DRESS FASHION SHOW ON
MARCH 3RD.
