Last October, Markell Bishop got sick and couldn’t shake it.

“I was short of breath and had trouble breathing when I would lie down,” said the 34-year-old from Starkville. “I had chest pain, and I had very little appetite.”

When Markell went to a local urgent care clinic, “The chest X-ray showed fluid on my lungs, and I was diagnosed with pneumonia,” she said.

The nurse practitioner asked Markell if anyone had ever told her that she has an enlarged heart. “That was my first time hearing that,” she said. “I’ve never had any heart problems before. It was very scary.”

Markell was referred to Dr. Dane Ballard at Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi in Starkville. After further testing and examination, Dr. Ballard diagnosed Markell with myocarditis and congestive heart failure.

“My heart was only pumping at 15%,” she said. “I was devastated. It came out of nowhere. I had thought at first it was a common cold, but it was a whole lot worse than I was thinking.”

Markell's Journey

Dr. Ballard explained that myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood. The condition is often caused by a virus like a cold or COVID-19.

Severe myocarditis weakens the heart so that it cannot pump blood well. In November, Markell was admitted to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo with excess fluid in her legs and feet, a common problem with heart failure.

In addition to medication, people with a weak heart muscle like Markell may need an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a small battery-powered device placed in the chest to detect and stop irregular heartbeats. When needed, it delivers electric shocks to restore a regular heart rhythm.

While she is being evaluated for an ICD, Markell is wearing a LifeVest™, a device that performs the same function but is worn underneath clothes. Electrodes inside the device pick up her electrocardiogram (EKG). She wears the monitor like a small purse.

'My Heart in Human Form'

The device doesn’t get in the way while she works as an academic interventionist with middle school students in Starkville Public Schools or with her energetic 4-year-old daughter, Ava, who she describes as "basically my heart in human form."

Whether the mother-daughter duo is romping at the park, singing, coloring, reading, competing in board games or playing hide and seek, the important thing is being together.

With Dr. Ballard and his team helping manage her heart failure, Markell can focus on what matters most.

“The treatment gives me hope because it manages my symptoms and allows me to enjoy everything Ava and I like to do together,” she said. “Even though there is no cure for congestive heart failure, I can make lifestyle changes to improve my health so that I will be able to watch Ava grow up.”