The Heart Warrior Project

02/02/2026

It’s February ❤️ — the month of love. A perfect moment for me to drop this video.

Love and dating can feel complicated after surviving a sudden cardiac arrest, living with heart disease, carrying an ICD, taking medication, or navigating physical limitations.

Quiet doubts can begin to surface: Will someone still choose me? Will I be rejected because of what I’ve been through? Am I still enough?

In this episode, I reflect on what I’ve witnessed firsthand through countless conversations with heart warriors — both on the podcast and during our monthly meetups — and share the remarkable qualities they embody. 💪🫀

This episode isn’t about pretending that things are easy; it’s about flipping the narrative. 🔄

Rather than focusing on fear, limitation, or illness, I explore why dating or building a life with a heart warrior can be deeply enriching — and why heart warriors so often make extraordinary partners. ❤️

Love and dating can feel complicated after surviving a sudden cardiac arrest, living with heart disease, carrying an ICD, taking medication, or navigating ph...

01/02/2026

Two dates are available to vote for this month’s meetup — February 📅.

Because it’s a bit of a crazy work month and I am dedicating some extra time to behind-the-scenes work for the Heart Warrior Project, only one meetup will be hosted this month.

However, in March, there will be two meetups, like normal 🎉.

🗓️ Vote here: https://calendly.com/d/cvbc-ydd-5m5/cardiac-comeback-crew-open-discussion

26/01/2026

Heart disease doesn’t just affect the heart—it can challenge a man’s sense of strength, identity, and confidence. In this short clip, clinical health psychologist Dr. Samuel Sears talks about how men often respond to these changes, sometimes with reckless or destructive behavior, and the importance of checking in with loved ones.

If you’d like to learn more about living with heart disease, watch the full in-depth conversation on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/P3ipXCvSfo8?si=_zXW0BMkxNWrp_Sv

17/01/2026

🎙️ Upcoming Q&A Podcast Episode

I’m excited to announce that Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be joining us for an upcoming Q&A podcast episode! 💓

Dr. Gupta is a Consultant Cardiologist at York Teaching Hospital (UK) 🏥, with a specialist interest in cardiac imaging 🫀. With nearly 28 years of experience in medicine, he’s passionate about doing healthcare differently and helping people understand their hearts without unnecessary fear. 🌱

Through his YouTube channel and clinical work, Dr. Gupta focuses on clear, evidence-based, jargon-free information 📚, with attention to lifestyle, prevention, and patient empowerment. 💪

These Q&A episodes are a chance for you to send in questions that you'd love me to ask, in this case, Dr. Gupta.

Some of the topics Dr. Gupta specializes in and is passionate about:

- 🫀 Cardiac imaging
- ❤️ Heart conditions & symptoms
- 💊 Medications — benefits vs side effects
- 🌱 Lifestyle & patient empowerment
- 🌟 Living well and confidently with heart concerns

Please feel free to send in your questions here or use the link I've shared.

Have a look at who the next cardiac health expert will be on The Heart Warrior Project podcast and ask your questions.

15/01/2026

We’ve got the dates for our last meetup this month, January. This one, too, will be an open discussion meetup. It’s a great moment to catch up with everyone and meet fellow heart warriors!

https://calendly.com/d/ctjm-rdd-vz2/cardiac-comeback-crew-open-discussion

13/01/2026

This live Q&A meetup was turned into a podcast episode so those who couldn’t join live can listen to it.

In this Q&A episode, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Johan Saenen, a renowned cardiologist and electrophysiologist from Antwerp University Hospital (UZA).

Dr. Saenen specializes in the prevention of sudden cardiac death and hereditary heart diseases.

This episode also highlights the Heart Warrior Project’s mission: connecting survivors, providing free access to vital information, and building a supportive community for heart warriors.

Every month, we host two meetups that give you the chance to meet fellow heart warriors from around the world. Occasionally, we also invite a cardiac health professional—as was the case here—so you can ask any questions you have, for free.

If you are a SCA survivor or someone at high risk, follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on when the next meetup will take place.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartwarriorproject
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://heartwarriorproject.com/newsletter/

This live Q&A meetup was turned into a podcast episode so those who couldn’t join live can listen to it.In this Q&A episode, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Johan...

02/01/2026

Hey everyone 👋

First off: happy New Year to you all 🎉
Wishing you all the very best for 2026—good health ❤️‍🩹 and little to no medical drama 🙂

We’ve got the dates up for our first meetup this month

It will be an open discussion meetup—simply a space to talk, catch up, and see how wild Christmas and New Year were for everyone. If time allows, I’ll also be asking you all what you’d love to see in terms of meetups in 2026: which themes 💡, which topics 🫀, and which cardiac health experts 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️.

So feel free to take some notes and share them during the meetup.

Looking forward to seeing you all there.😊

https://calendly.com/d/cvfj-nv5-jxs/cardiac-comeback-crew-open-discussion

16/12/2025

✨ Taking a moment to reflect on everything that has happened at The Heart Warrior Project this year (2025) — and to thank you all.

Everyone who joined me on the podcast, on YouTube (either as a guest or a listener), and/or at the meetups: thank you. ❤️

I am deeply grateful for the friendships and incredible people I’ve met through this project — and genuinely excited for what lies ahead, and for the Heart Warriors I’ve yet to meet. ❤️

I sincerely hope The Heart Warrior Project has been a source of support for you — and that it can continue to be one. I care deeply about making this project better, and I want to do this together with you.

Therefore, it would mean a lot to me if you could take a short moment to fill in this anonymous feedback form. You can find the feedback form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf40ScqfcMFtABRXSXeXVma6_04zUegCxUTGzrcyXjku443gA/viewform?usp=header

Happy holidays to you all! 🎄✨

https://youtu.be/RsKo0FRDKEc?si=gNmpKSv5TVFikwYR

I sincerely hope The Heart Warrior Project has been a source of support for you — and that it can continue to be one. I care deeply about making The Heart Wa...

09/12/2025

The Heart Warrior Project has been featured in a major research paper in the Heart Rhythm Society❤️‍🔥.

Support groups for those who survived an SCA, or who are at high risk and living with an ICD, play a vital role in emotional recovery, confidence building, and long-term well-being ❤️‍🩹💛

While many fellow heart warriors — and I — who join our meetups already know how much this kind of support can help, it’s still great to see it confirmed in a research paper 📄🙌

From reducing anxiety and fear of shocks to creating a space for shared stories and real understanding, support groups like The Heart Warrior Project remain a powerful tool for healing, whether in person or online 🤝💬🌍

And while I’ve highlighted the key findings in the graphic, you can read the full paper here: https://www.heartrhythmopen.com/article/S2666-5018(25)00122-9/fulltext

05/12/2025

Looking for a meaningful gift this year? 🎄✨

Explore our Heart Warrior merch — from hoodies 🧥 and mugs ☕ to tote bags 🛍️, bottles 🥤, and more.

Every purchase directly supports The Heart Warrior Project ❤️ and helps keep our mission alive. Your gift becomes more than just a physical item — it helps provide support for SCA survivors 💖, promotes CPR awareness 🫀, and spreads heart-health education 📚.

Browse our merch: https://heartwarriorproject.com/merchandise/

02/12/2025

Today is Giving Tuesday. 🤍

Consider supporting The Heart Warrior Project.

Your gift helps SCA survivors feel less alone, grows our resources, and strengthens our mission to raise CPR awareness.

Because of you, more lives can be saved — and heart warriors everywhere can find hope, connection, and the courage to keep going. ❤️

Make a Donation: https://ko-fi.com/heartwarriorproject

22/11/2025

Hey everyone!

The end of the year is approaching, and we want to celebrate it during our last meetup of the year! 🎉

We have three possible dates — the one with the most votes will be when our Heart Warrior Christmas/New Year Meetup takes place.

Bring a drink, put on that Christmas sweater, and let’s talk, toast, celebrate, and simply enjoy some time together.

You can vote for your preferred date through the link below:

👉 https://calendly.com/d/cthd-pzj-jgv/hwp-christmas-meetup-2025

Hope to see many of you there! ❤️🎄

Jellis