On a D.C. sidewalk, a race to save a Marine general's life

[Moosepoop]

10. He had a congenital heart condition

He knew about if for years, but it hadn't been a problem... until now.

The seriousness of the situation soon became clear. While the general had survived cardiac arrest, he still had an aortic bicuspid valve that had failed. The condition, said MacGillivray, is congenital and meant that Smith’s aortic valve had only two parts, or “leaflets,” pumping blood away from the heart, rather than the customary three.

Valve replacement surgery is common, but often it occurs after a patient experiences chest pain, fatigue and other less severe symptoms that prompt treatment. Smith told MacGillivray that he had been aware of his condition, the doctor said, but he had lived with it for years without issue and typically ran three miles in about 18 minutes.

He had to have open heart surgery to replace the defective aortic valve with a mechanical one. He can always hear it ticking.