A bodybuilder who suffered heart failure was rushed to hospital for a transplant - and now has an artificial heart he carries around in a backpack.

Andrew Jones, from Conneticut, first became unwell in 2012 after struggling to breathe during a run.

He was horrified when two years later he started to cough up blood and developed a high fever.

In hospital, doctors diagnosed the 26-year-old with cardiomyopathy - a hereditary disease of the heart muscle - and soon he became so weak he couldn't stand, walk or dress himself.

A few months later, medics told if he didn't have a transplant immediately he would die.

As there were no organs available, he was fitted with a pacemaker and an artificial heart - which he now carries around in a bag on his back.

Despite his brush with death, he is now back to the gym and said he cries after workouts as he feels so 'thankful to be alive'.

Andrew Jones, 26, began feeling breathless and coughing up blood and was horrified to be diagnosed with heart failure due to a hereditary condition. He was fitted with an artificial heart and has now recovered (right)

Mr Jones' artificial heart has two tubes that exit the body and are connected to a machine he carries around in a bag. Now, after each gym session he cries with joy as he is so grateful to be alive and working out

Recalling suffering from heart failure, Mr Jones said: 'It's something I would never want to wish upon my worst enemy.

'You can't breathe, you can't think, you don't eat and you don't sleep.

He continued: 'Living with this disease put me in a pattern with depression and physical pain.

'I had to stop working because I wouldn't be able to stand for more than 10 minutes.

'I dreaded going to the kitchen because that meant that I had to go up and down my stairs.

'I couldn't even get dressed without panting and gasping for air - my life was falling apart and I just wanted relief.'

Cardiomyopathy isn’t a single condition, but a group of conditions that affect the structure of the heart and reduce its ability to pump blood around the body.

The heart muscle can become enlarged, thick, or rigid - or muscle can become replaced with scar tissue.

Mr Jones was devastated when his condition left him to weak to walk, let alone lift weights.

WHAT IS CARDIOMYOPATHY? Cardiomyopathy is the name for a group of conditions that affect the structure of the heart and reduce its ability to pump blood around the body. It can affect the shape of the heart, or the size and thickness of the muscle walls. It affects one in 500 people in the UK and around 50,000 Americans a year. Many people have cardiomyopathy without having any symptoms, other people might experience symptoms such as tiredness (due to low oxygen levels) or breathlessness (due to fluid on the lungs). They might also suffer swelling in the abdomen and ankles, palpitations, pain in the chest and dizziness or fainting. There are many possible causes of cardiomyopathy. Some types are genetic: caused by a mutation in the person’s DNA (genetic material) which affects how their heart develops. Genetic conditions may be inherited (passed on from parent to child) so cardiomyopathy sometimes runs in families. Often if one person is diagnosed with cardiomyopathy it is recommended that their close family members such as parents, siblings and children (known as first-degree relatives) are tested for the condition too. Other possible causes include viral infections which affect the heart, autoimmune diseases (which affect the immune system), and some medications (including those used to treat cancer). Source: Cardiomyopathy UK Advertisement

But since having the artificial heart implanted he has slowly recovered and is now back to training in the gym.

His artificial heart has two tubes that exit the body and are connected to a machine he carries around in a bag.

The machine delivers compressed air into the ventricles to allow blood to be pumped through the body.

His doctors have said as long as he tells his transplant routine about his weight-lifting routine, he is able to keep training.

He said: 'I will never forget the day I had to throw in the towel until I started feeling better.

'I tried my hardest to push through the shortness of breath, but I just could not train without my heart functioning properly.

'Today, thanks to my medical devices, I feel like a new person.

'I am almost back to the old Andrew that was able to train with passion and intensity.

'I do everything I can without compromising my health and the security of my devices.'

Mr Jones even launched his own charity, Hearts at Large, to raise awareness for organ donations and has over 14,000 followers on his Instagram, @FitnessWithAJ.

Grateful to be alive, he now breaks down in tears at the gym as he is so happy he is still able to train.

He said: 'I always loved working out and staying in shape, but I never actually took the time to be thankful to even have the ability to do so.

'Now I end my workouts almost in tears because I am still alive and I feel amazing.'

While some would hide their scars, Mr Jones wears his with pride, and explains to anyone who asks why he carries a backpack with him everywhere.

He said: 'I work in retail part-time and customers ask me all the time why I wear my backpack.

'When I tell them what it is for the response is somewhere along the lines of shock.

'They think I am pulling their leg, or seem surprised because I look healthy.

He first started experiencing symptoms in 2012 when he became breathless on a run. Two years later he was coughing up blood and was rushed to hospital, where doctors said he needed a transplant or he would die

Despite having an artificial heart, Mr Jones is able He said: 'Today, thanks to my medical devices, I feel like a new person. I am almost back to the old Andrew that was able to train with passion and intensity'

He continued: 'I'm never afraid to go out in public or take off my shirt in front of other people.

'I do try to be considerate because it is different and some people may feel uncomfortable.

'But I have no problem explaining what my device is, how it works and why I need it.'

He said during his four-month stay in hospital, he was constantly reminded of how serious his circumstances were.

'Despite this I couldn't shake the thought of the people who aren't healthy enough to even be considered for a transplant, or the people who don't have access to good health care,' he said.