✈️ Hope Has Luggage Now
- maryrburrell
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
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 to me. A few years ago, I wasn’t planning trips or packing bags — I was in hospice and was told there were no more options for my heart.
I remember lying there, wondering if I’d ever see another day or hear my family’s laughter again.
Now here I am, folding clothes into a suitcase for Dublin. It still amazes me not just because I made it through, but because I get to stand in it and speak from it.
⭕️ A Full-Circle Moment
When I think about how far I’ve come, the hospital rooms, the fear, the quiet prayers that got me through — it reminds me how much can change when hope refuses to give up.Somehow, that path led all the way to Dublin.
This trip is about being part of something bigger: a global community that believes patient stories can shape the future of care.
💭 What I Hope to Bring
At the summit, I’ll be surrounded by people who live with heart disease, care for someone they love, or are working to design the next generation of treatments.
That’s what this trip is about — not just speaking up, but growing through what we share. Because healing is physical, yes — but it’s also emotional, spiritual, and deeply human. And when we listen to each other, we all walk away with a little more hope.
But I’m also there to learn.To listen, to connect, and to understand how others see the same fight from their side.Every story shared, every question asked, helps all of us see the bigger picture.
That’s what this trip is about — not just speaking up, but growing through what we share. Because healing is physical, yes — but it’s also emotional, spiritual, and deeply human.
And when we listen to each other, we all walk away with a little more hope.
🌉 The Bridge Between Then and Now
Through HeartBridge Collective, I hope to help fill the gaps I felt while living through my own journey — the confusion, the silence, the missing connection between patients and the people designing our care.
I didn’t create HeartBridge because I had all the answers. I started it because I didn’t.
I just knew what it felt like to be unseen, and I wanted to make sure others didn’t have to feel that way. If my story helps bridge even a small part of that gap, then every step — even the hardest ones — has been worth it.
⏭️ What’s Next
As I get ready for Dublin, I can’t help but think about everyone who’s been part of this journey — the people who cheered me on, listened, or simply understood what it means to keep going when it’s hard.
This trip is about every patient, every caregiver, every family still waiting for answers and holding on to hope.
Thank you for walking this road with me.
If my story resonated with you, don’t keep yours quiet.Every voice has power — especially the ones that almost gave up.