San Juan, Sep 20 (IANS/EFE): Miss Puerto Rico 1985, Iris Matias, is suffering from terminal pulmonary hypertension which has left her bedridden and dependent on a machine connected to her heart that provides the necessary medications to keep her alive.

The daily El Nuevo Dia recounted Wednesday the story of the former beauty queen, who was diagnosed with the disease in the summer of 2009.

Matias had to sell her home in San Juan to get together the necessary funds to buy the machine on which her life has depended since then.

She is the mother of a 22-year-old daughter who is studying graphic design and who has remained by Matias's side.

Matias cannot be disconnected from the machine and said that every day she asks God to keep it from being damaged, since without it she would soon die.

Despite the critical nature of the situation, Matias said that she intends to keep herself looking good to keep her spirits up.

She said that her doctors warned that given her critical situation, a new health crisis could be fatal, since she is getting weaker every day due to the pulmonary hypertension, a disease that results in abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.