Andy and Christine Morawski cross the finish line of the Fresh 15 5K on March 3, 2018, in Tyler. Courtesy

Years of heart issues prompted Christine Morawski to tone back her running and change several routines, but it was a diagnosis that was confirmed by DNA testing last year that stopped her in her tracks.

Since her heart issues were discovered in 2001, Mrs. Morawski, 70, of Tyler, lived with a pacemaker and defibrillator up until last year. As her condition worsened, she was sent to the Baylor Scott and White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic and soon received confirmation that she had arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.

The genetic disease is uncommon and is characterized by a very large right ventricular cavity, said Dr. William Roberts, executive director at Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute. He added that patients with the disease could experience ventricular arrhythmias, which cause the heart to beat too fast, and eventually lead to heart failure.

In 2017, Mrs. Morawski received a heart transplant, but the surgery didn’t mean she was done hearing about her old heart.

As part of the Heart-to-Heart program at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, where she was a patient, she was allowed a chance to see her former heart and have Dr. Roberts discuss with her some of issues he found.

Mrs. Morawski, who has since learned she has a son and grandson who inherited the condition from her, was able to bring them and several family members along to the appointment.

Looking at her old heart frightened her.

“The condition of the heart was shocking,” she said. “When they dissect something, they slice it so they can see inside. I was very close to death…”

She described the right side of her heart as looking very worn out.

Dr. Roberts said there have been 15 patients in the program who have had the same condition as Mrs. Morawski’s but her right ventricle was the largest in the group.

He added that in the United States there are more than six million people who have heart failure, but only about 2,500 of them get transplants each year.

Mrs. Morawski said she is very happy to be alive and on the road to regaining her health and strength. She and her husband Andy Morawski, 73, of Tyler, walked the 5K version of the Fresh 15 race in March.

“I wasn’t sure on the day of that I could do it but I did,” she said.

Mrs. Morawski added that the whole experience has taught her about how precious life is.

“I didn’t realize that you could be that close to death without knowing it ,” she said.

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