the main power source and put her on to the batteries. If you were slow, and you couldn’t

do it, nothing serious is going to happen. It has a 15 minute reserve, and then it has

an extra five, I believe.

KRISTI: She is a battery-operated woman, but she is

first a woman. And I think that’s the important thing. We don’t want anybody to feel like

they’re a chronic patient. She’s got batteries to keep her going.

SUZANNE: She has two options for power…um, during

the day when she’s up walking around, having her life, she’ll be hooked up to batteries.

At night time, they’re on the mobile power unit, plugs into the wall and then she plugs

it with a 20-foot cable. This is exactly what comes out of her body. Metal piece here attaches

to her system controller. It’s the computer software that makes the pump work.

ROBERT: That’s where it’s coming out of.

SUZANNE: We’ve had people travel the world with the

pump. We’ve had people go on cruises, planes are pretty easy.

DR. MEHTA: What’s important in life is different for

different people. I might have a patient who wants to run a marathon who has bad heart

failure, and I may have a patient who just wants to be around for two more birthdays

for her grandson. Or I might have a father who wants to walk his daughter down the aisle

at her wedding. Each one of those are important,

equally important…because it’s what that person wants to do with the rest of their

life.

MARIA: If I didn’t have this, where would I be?

I wouldn’t be here. I’m just blessed to be given the chance to prolong my life…you

know, be around my grandkids, my family. I’m just blessed.