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GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Doctors at Abrazo West Campus saved 61-year-old Deanna Morehead of Buckeye by utilizing the world's smallest heart pump after she suffered a massive heart attack on March 25.
What we know:
Morehead's heart attack was the kind only 10 to 12 percent of people survive outside a hospital setting. She experienced an acute heart attack where the main chambers of her heart could not pump blood to vital organs.
"I had to learn how to walk, I had to learn how to use my hands again, I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't walk, and I just really pushed forward, and I had really good therapists that really were encouraging," Morehead said.
She spent a month in the intensive care unit with no memory of how she arrived.
Dig deeper:
Doctors at Abrazo West Campus needed immediate approval to use the tiny heart pump to save her life.
"We only had the pump that supports the left side of the heart; the one that supports the right side of the heart is relatively new," said Dr. Saifuldeen Al Qaisi of Abrazo West Campus. "They had it at only a few hospitals around the Valley, and we were not one of those hospitals, and I got exceptional approval … Now we have it on the shelf for future cases."
The medical team successfully positioned the tiny pump in her right ventricle and performed other procedures, allowing her to begin recovery.
Through physical therapy and a strong support system, Morehead is significantly better. She expresses gratitude to her nurses and doctors for her survival.
"We went up, and I did get to meet a lot of the doctors and nurses, and they were like, 'Oh my god, you're a miracle girl, like we did not expect you to live,' and I don't remember any of them, but they remember me and they were very happy to see that I'm good," Morehead said.
Deanna Morehead and Dr. Saifuldeen Al Qaisi
What's next:
Morehead is taking her recovery day by day, working on improving her memory and a fluctuating voice. She credits her medical team for never giving up on her.