At 22 years old, Mataya Rose Whitford has already built a life defined by hard work, resilience and a love for the outdoors.
The Browning native is a welder, rancher, and avid hunter who grew up embracing Montana’s rugged lifestyle. But over the last year, a rare heart condition has forced her to put much of that life on hold.
Whitford was diagnosed with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia, or IST, in October 2024. The condition causes an abnormally high heart rate without an identifiable cause and has brought severe chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath. At times, her heart rate has climbed to more than 220 beats per minute, even while resting.
The diagnosis has dramatically changed her day-to-day life.
“The hardest part has been not being able to do the things I’ve always done,” Whitford said. “I miss working. I miss helping my family. I miss just getting up and going without having to think about whether my heart can handle it.”
The condition has prevented Whitford from working and contributing to her family’s ranch the way she once did. For her parents, watching their daughter navigate those changes has been difficult.
“She’s always been tough,” her dad Justin Whitford said. “Seeing her go from doing everything to struggling just to walk across a room has been really hard. You wish you could take it away from her.”
Despite the challenges, Whitford has refused to let her diagnosis define her. Last September, while living with the early symptoms of the condition, Whitford harvested a massive bull moose that earned a Boone and Crockett score, becoming the first Native American woman to achieve the distinction.
“I didn’t want this diagnosis to define me,” she said. “It showed me I can still do hard things. I just have to do them differently.”
Now, Whitford is preparing for what she hopes will be another turning point. In July, she will travel from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to Kansas City to seek specialized cardiac care and undergo a potentially life-changing ablation procedure. The treatment offers hope that her symptoms can be reduced and that she may once again return to the active lifestyle she loves.
“I’m hopeful,” Whitford said. “I don’t know exactly what happens next, but I know I have a lot of people behind me. The support from family, friends and our community means everything. I just want to get back to being me.”
Whitford’s journey also sheds light on the barriers many rural and Native patients face when seeking advanced medical treatment. Accessing specialized care often requires extensive travel, financial strain and long waits for appointments.
Even so, Whitford remains focused on the future. For the young woman who has spent her life welding, working cattle and hunting in Montana’s mountains, Kansas City represents more than another hospital visit.
It represents hope for steadier heartbeats, a return to the ranch and the chance to once again do the things she loves most.
Mataya is raising money for travel. Click here if you would like to donate.
