Danielle’s Story: Forever in Our Hearts, Always in Our Lives
It has been a little over six months since my sister Helen passed away—a day so painful it is forever etched in our minds and hearts. While this profound loss in our family’s lives will be forever felt, we know full well Helen wouldn’t want us focused on our grief and pain. As hard as […]
Jenny’s Story: Reflecting on Five Years Since Heart Failure
For Jenny, February 24th is a date etched into her memory and her heart: A yearly milestone that brings a complex mix of gratitude and vulnerability as it crosses the 5 year mark. While others see a mask…
Edwina’s Story: Total Heart Warrior!
What a roller coaster life has been. From my first symptoms at thirteen during a cross-country ski race to a heart transplant decades later, my journey with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been one of resilience, advocacy, and fighting to be heard. After years of overlooked symptoms and misdiagnoses, I finally received the care I needed—including a life-saving heart transplant in 2022. Despite complications that left me blind and hospitalized for 145 days, I’m now thriving and training to conquer the Grouse Grind in 2026…
Nancy’s Story: Five Stents and a Second Chance at Life
When Nancy Hansen was diagnosed with genetic high cholesterol at 19, she couldn’t have known the journey ahead. After her father’s early death from heart disease…
Jenna’s Story: From Heart Failure to New Beginnings at 20
I was 20 years old when I experienced heart failure due to severe dilated cardiomyopathy.
One week I felt okay for the most part; the next, I had all the…
Julie’s Story: Living with Complex Congenital Heart Disease – Held Together by Hope
My journey with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) began at birth. 1 in 100 babies are born with CHD. My first heart surgery was at two days old and then…
Meet Bonnie: HeartLife’s Nursing Champion, caregiver, and passionate advocate for patients and families.
For Bonnie, the heart has always been a source of fascination. Drawn to fitness and inspired by the incredible complexity of the human heart the way its four…
Paula’s Story: Living With Heart Failure, Finding Resilience
I was born with a congenital heart disease called Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM). My mother had it, and so did her mother — my grandma…
Lise
When I was 19 years of age my 11 year old cousin had a sudden cardiac arrest while jogging in gym class. After much investigation into why, my family…