After her heart started to fail, a first-of-its-kind surgery saved her life

Sue Baker was used to spending time in the hospital. She had started having heart troubles in 2015, and as the issue escalated, she spent more and more time in the hospital. She had a pacemaker implanted to keep her heart beating. Once, she spent five days in a coma. 

In 2019, as her heart function continued to fail, Baker received a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, a mechanical pump that helps the heart's left ventricle circulate blood throughout the body.

For years, Baker lived on "batteries and electricity," but she didn't stop living her life. She married a man she loved, and they started building a life together in southeast Georgia. However, she knew the LVAD was only a stopgap measure, and wanted to make sure she was living a full life before her health declined further.