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Clinical Trials: Where the Follow-Up Breaks Down Before the Finish Line
I’m not here to throw shade — just to shine some light. ✨ Clinical trials save lives.I’m living proof of that. They give people like me a second chance when options run out.But even with all the science and structure behind them, trials still have a deeply human side that doesn’t always get enough attention. What I’ve learned and what we talk about often at HeartBridge Collective is that connection can start to fade even before a trial ends. People move on.Coordinators cha
Nov 5, 20252 min read


I Saved My Breath to Survive
I stayed silent just to keep breathing. Today, my words carry purpose. When you’re fighting for your life, you speak in survival.You write in whispers.You breathe between words and sometimes between syllables. Talking was hard and some days, impossible.I’d pause mid-word just to catch air, or stay quiet to save what little I had.I had to choose them carefully, like spending the last coins of breath! Back then, breathing took all my focus, so I spoke in pieces.Short. Choppy.
Nov 4, 20252 min read


✈️ Hope Has Luggage Now
The invitation that changed everything. Because sometimes, the seat at the table is the miracle. I’m so excited! We are headed to Dublin, Ireland for the #GHHUnite Summit 🌍 The Global Heart Hub brings together people from all over the world who care about heart health — patients, caregivers, doctors, and researchers. We come together to learn, share ideas, and make sure patients’ voices are heard. 💫 Why This Means So Much It’s hard to describe what this invitation means t
Oct 30, 20253 min read


💡 Getting There Is Part of Care
Making Clinical Trials Easier to Reach and Easier to Live Through When I first tried to join a clinical trial, I had no idea how much time, travel, and hope it took. I drove to another state three times, chasing a chance at life.The first two trips ended in disappointment, a quiet, heartbreaking “no.” By the third, I was exhausted and scared, but hope wouldn’t let me stop. That final trip changed everything. It gave me my second chance at life . My daughter took time off work
Oct 28, 20254 min read
Healing Isn’t a Solo Journey — It’s a Bridge We Cross Together
When One Patient Reaches Out, We All Learn Something There’s something about walking beside another patient that opens your eyes all over...
Oct 21, 20253 min read


The Day My Body Gave Out in a Grocery Store
💔 A Moment I’ll Never Forget. Right before I went into hospice, I could feel my body getting weaker every day. Still, I tried to keep...
Sep 11, 20251 min read


The Guinea Pig Myth: Myths vs. Facts Every Patient Should Know.
I spent two years on hospice because my tricuspid valve disease had no good options. Surgery wasn’t possible for me, medicines weren’t...
Sep 9, 20253 min read


Medical Innovation Is Moving Fast—But Ethics Needs to Catch Up 🚨
We are living in an extraordinary era for medicine. Every day, it seems we hear about new breakthroughs, from revolutionary medical...
Sep 2, 20253 min read


Healing Didn’t End With the Procedure—It Started With My Story
This isn’t just a story about heart disease. It’s a story about hope —and how a clinical trial saved my life and gave me a brand-new...
Aug 7, 20253 min read


This Is the Gap No One Wants to Talk About
Why does care disappear when we need it most?The system stops at the procedure. We don’t. They saved my life—and then handed me discharge...
Jul 24, 20252 min read


Left at the Door: The Burden of Caregiving During COVID
How Pandemic Policy Redefined the Role of Family Caregivers I want to talk about a group of people who rarely get the spotlight but...
Jun 11, 20253 min read


When Your Doctor Says Yes… But the PBM Says No
Why the people deciding your treatment aren’t the ones trained to treat you. Right?! It’s absolutely wild. Your medically trained doctor,...
May 29, 20253 min read


This Is What Life After Hospice Looks Like
Advocacy wasn’t the plan—but it became my purpose. Advocacy is deeply personal for me. I’m a two-year hospice survivor living with...
May 28, 20253 min read


Your Heart Talks Through Symptoms—Are You Listening?
Sometimes, the body whispers before it screams. Heart failure isn’t just “your heart is not working.” It’s your lungs gasping. It’s your...
May 21, 20252 min read


Real Talk: Building My Second Chance Took a Village
I talk a lot about second chances—because I’m living proof they exist. But the facts are, I didn’t get here on grit alone. It took a...
May 19, 20252 min read


The Interview Every Patient Deserves
Questions Every Doctor Should Be Asked—Before You Trust Them With Your Care I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been let down by a...
May 15, 20254 min read


From Barely Breathing to Truly Living — Why I Won’t Stay Quiet About TVR
Why am I talking about Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation (TVR)? Because talking about it creates change.Because sharing our stories makes...
May 14, 20252 min read


🩺 The Truth About Life After Hospice: Surviving Isn’t the Same as Healing
Some stories don’t end. They evolve—with every scar, every stumble, and every ounce of strength it takes to keep going. t’s strange what...
May 13, 20253 min read


📰 From Bellingham to Australia AGAIN: My Story Travels
My Heart Story, Their Health Policy Living with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) isn’t just challenging—it’s exhausting, isolating,...
May 7, 20252 min read


I Just Wanted to Survive — How Surviving Turned Into a Mission
I Had No Idea My Story Would Matter This Much I didn’t choose to become a patient pioneer out of bravery. I said yes to a clinical trial...
Apr 24, 20252 min read
"If no one else was telling their story, then maybe I needed to tell mine. And maybe, just maybe, that would give others permission to share theirs too."
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