Tulsa Mother, Runner Hasn't Let Heart Problems Slow Her Down

Four years after a medical device changed her life a Tulsa woman is taking her new life and running with it, literally.

Betsy Moore has not let anything stop her from doing what she loves to do. She is a mother, works part-time at Fleet Feet and an avid runner.

Moore runs about 40 miles per week and in a run-crazy town like Tulsa that's not unusual.

Even the GPS watch she wears is cool, but not rare. It's the heart rate monitor that reminds her of her disease.

"I really thought that it was just adrenaline and heat. I wasn't worried about it at all," said Betsy Moore.

Four years ago, when Moore first took up running she started getting really light-headed, even blacking out while she was running. The doctors told her she had "left-ventricular non-compaction." In Betsy Moore's case, that meant her heart beats erratically.

She had to have an ICD put in her chest which is a combination of a pacemaker and a defibrillator. It helps regulate her heartbeat.

"I was just absolutely crazy. I've been healthy my entire life. I eat right. I've exercised my whole life," said Betsy Moore.

After the implant, the first thing Betsy asked the cardiologist, would she still be able to run.

"They thought I was kind of crazy. They're like you wanna get back running. I said, Yeah I really do," said Betsy Moore.

Just one year after the implant Moore ran the Route 66 marathon. Since then, she's run several half-marathons, and almost too many 10Ks and 5Ks to count.

"When you have something that's kind of life-threatening that happens to you. You really value and appreciate everything you know that could not have. And I've took that measure and gone with it," said Betsy Moore.

Since it's genetic, doctors have told Betsy her son Garrison could have the disease as well. That doesn't seem to faze her at all.

"It's not going to kill them. They can lead a very normal life," said Betsy Moore.

But if Garrison is anything like his mom, his life will be anything but normal.

Despite watching her heart rate carefully, Moore says her ICD has saved her life twice already after she went into cardiac arrest.