By Annette Pinder
Fatima Mathews has good days and bad days. She says, “Some days I feel motivated and get a lot done. Other days, it’s hard to get out of bed, or even walk. I take 12 to 15 medicines each day. Sometimes they work well, and sometimes they don’t, but I’m thankful for the good days.”
Fatima was 30 years old, and pregnant with her second child, when she noticed that her feet, legs, and fingers were swollen, and she was tired all of the time. “My symptoms were consistent with those many women experience in their third trimester, so my doctor told me to rest and take it easy. Six weeks after giving birth, I was even weaker, but forced myself to drive to work. I was sweating profusely, and my hands were clammy. Thinking I was having a heart attack, I drove myself to the ER. When I arrived, I was already in heart failure.”
Fatima was diagnosed with postpartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare form of heart failure that can affect women during the last month of pregnancy or up to five months after giving birth. According to the American Heart Association, PPCM occurs when the heart chambers enlarge and the muscle weakens, causing a decrease in the amount of blood ejected from the left ventricle of the heart with each contraction. When the heart can’t provide the body’s organs with sufficient oxygen, the lungs, liver, and other body systems are affected.
Thereafter, Fatima saw a cardiologist who prescribed a defibrillator, a device that sends an electric pulse to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. She did well for 10 years, but in 2019 required a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a battery-operated mechanical pump to help her heart’s main chamber pump blood to the rest of her body. According to Harvard Health, LVADs are life-saving for heart failure patients awaiting a heart transplant, and can sometimes restore a failing heart or even eliminate the need for a transplant. Patients who are not candidates for heart transplants can receive long-term treatment using an LVAD to help prolong and improve their lives.
Fatima has set a one-year goal to lose 30 pounds and get on the list to receive a heart transplant. She has enrolled in two required courses at Buffalo State College to complete her 4-year degree in Communications, takes daily walks, and consumes a keto diet. She is also fashion-conscious, and wears handbags that hide her LVAD device.
Fatima’s most prized goals center on being a great mom to her son and daughter, and educating other African American women about the importance of heart health. To that end, she is hosting a luncheon on February 18 from 11am to 2pm at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center during which she and her physicians will speak and answer questions. She is also a presenter at this year’s American Heart Association Go Red for Women Luncheon on February 7 from 11am to 2pm at Reikart House Buffalo, 5000 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226. Visit https://event.gives/goredbuffalo to purchase tickets, email buffaloheart@heart.org, or call 716-243-4600.
