Thaindian News

New York, May 27 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Ally Smith might live to see her wedding day. The 22-year-old college student suffered from a deadly heart disease that threatened to end her life, in less than a year. Ally is living through a bionic heart, which performs the normal functions of her heart. Ally’s fiancé Mike Babineaux appeared on TODAY show, with Ally’s parents and the cardiologist who planted the bionic heart in Ally. The couple said it was love that made everything possible and now they are looking forward to their wedding day.

Ally’s cardiologist Dr. Roberta Bogaev said Ally suffered from a heart condition called Cardiomyopathy. It is a disease that affects the heart muscles. Sadly the condition is a progressive disease and would eventually shut down the heart. The news of Ally’s condition devastated the couple. Doctors say there is no known corrective procedure for the sickness and the only sure treatment was heart transplant. If nothing is done within a year, 50% of all cardiomyopathy patients die. The option of heart transplant is even more rare, as only 5% of patients waiting for heart transplant eventually gets the organ.

Doctors say they did two surgeries to install the bionic heart in Ally’s heart. They say the first installation didn’t work and they had to perform the life-or-death procedure again.