LetsTalk PPCM

We're dedicated to saving mothers’ lives through PPCM education, early detection, and advocacy.
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We support moms, families, birth workers and healthcare providers with resources, training, and awareness to improve maternal health outcomes.

05/27/2026

Shout out to TikTok, Grey's Anatomy, our wonderful supporters and amazing heart sisters for helping spread awareness of the signs and symptoms of this serious pregnancy-related heart condition. 💔

We’re grateful to see our message reaching more people as awareness continues to grow around Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. The more we learn, the more we can recognize symptoms early and advocate for timely care.

We are also excited to be partnering again with Baylor Scott & White Health, and will continue distributing our signs and symptoms education materials throughout medical centers, pregnancy resource centers, and healthcare facilities interested in strengthening awareness within their communities.

No one expects to face something like this during or after pregnancy, which is why education, awareness, and support are so important.

Take charge of your health, trust your symptoms, and don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself.

Learn more about signs, symptoms, survivor stories and resources at our website: https://letstalkppcm.org/signs-%26-symptoms

Our viral post: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8p7JasD/

05/26/2026

Meet Carmen Erickson:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was once in full-blown heart failure?

After eight months of what appeared to be a healthy pregnancy, she underwent an emergency cesarean section. During the procedure, she temporarily lost consciousness, required a blood transfusion, and was rushed to the ICU. Once stabilized, she was finally able to meet her baby girl before returning home a few days later.

However, her journey was far from over.

On her very first night home, she began experiencing severe shortness of breath and returned to the emergency room, only to be discharged without answers. Shortly after arriving home, the hospital contacted her urgently and informed her she had a blood infection and needed to return immediately.

Following additional testing, doctors discovered she had a severely weakened heart. She was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare and often overlooked form of heart failure that can develop during pregnancy or within the months following childbirth. The condition weakens and enlarges the heart muscle, making it difficult for the body to receive the blood and oxygen it needs.

As her condition progressed, she was told she would need a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) to help keep her alive. Just months after receiving the device, she suffered her first massive stroke, followed by a second stroke only four months later.

Despite the unimaginable challenges she has faced, she continues fighting every day with incredible strength and resilience.

Today, Carmen no longer requires an LVAD and remains dedicated to raising awareness for PPCM while supporting other women navigating similar journeys. She believes that early BNP testing and echocardiograms at the first signs of symptoms could help prevent stories like hers and potentially save mothers’ lives.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

05/25/2026

We're proud to officially introduce Haley Pleiner as our Texas Heart Walk Team Lead for the October 17th, 2026 American Heart Association Heart Walk. ❤️

Haley joins our mission with a passion for advocacy, awareness, and honoring the mothers and families impacted by Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Her leadership will help expand maternal heart health awareness and community outreach efforts throughout Texas.

As part of this year’s event, we will also be creating a memorial display featuring poster tributes in honor of Heart Sisters lost to PPCM. If you would like your loved one included in this remembrance, please message us the name of the mother you would like honored.

We are currently seeking 10 walking participants located in or near Texas to join our team for this impactful awareness event.

We welcome:
• PPCM survivors
• Family members and supporters
• Birth workers and advocates
• Community members passionate about maternal health

Together, we will walk to raise awareness, support families, and help ensure more mothers are heard, diagnosed, and supported.

📩 Register or Support Here:
https://letstalkppcm.org/upcoming-events

05/23/2026

We want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to Dr. Njeri Kuria M.D. for joining our Workshop for PPCM Awareness Week! 🫀

Your willingness to support this important conversation and help educate our community on Peripartum Cardiomyopathy means more than words can express.

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, advocate for maternal heart health, and stand with PPCM survivors and families. We had nothing but great feedback from attendees.

Awareness saves lives, and because of dedicated medical professionals like you, more women will feel seen, heard, and informed. We are truly grateful for your support of our mission and the work we continue to do through LetsTalkPPCM.

Thank you again for helping make our workshop impactful, empowering, and meaningful.

05/22/2026

🚨 TRUE OR FALSE?

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare but serious form of heart failure that can happen during the last month of pregnancy OR even several months postpartum.

❌ Answer: FALSE

Many women are told their symptoms are just part of “normal recovery” after childbirth, causing dangerous delays in diagnosis and treatment.

⚠️ Symptoms may include:
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in legs or feet
• Extreme fatigue
• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing while lying down
• Persistent coughing
• Feeling faint or dizzy

Some women diagnosed with PPCM had healthy pregnancies, no prior heart conditions, and no warning signs before symptoms appeared.

💬 PPCM Heart Mom's:
What was YOUR experience like before diagnosis?
Were your symptoms dismissed at first?
How long did it take to get answers?

Your story could help another mother recognize the signs sooner. ❤️

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org to learn how you can stand with us in protecting moms and their hearts.

05/21/2026

Meet Ashley:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

After the birth of her third child, Ashley expected the usual exhaustion that comes with caring for a newborn. But just two weeks postpartum, she began feeling unusually weak, struggled to eat, and felt completely drained. As a busy mom, she pushed through the symptoms, believing it was simply part of recovery.

Soon after, she developed what appeared to be a severe urinary tract infection. She experienced a dangerously high fever, vomiting, and nearly passed out, leading to an emergency room visit. Doctors treated her for a kidney infection caused by a UTI and sent her home with antibiotics and fluids. But her condition continued to worsen.

Within days, she developed severe swelling, heavy painful legs, ongoing fevers, and abnormal blood pressure and heart rate changes that alarmed medical staff during another ER visit. Although her BNP levels were significantly elevated, answers were still unclear.

Eventually, after advocating for further testing and scheduling an echocardiogram through her primary care provider, she was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected.

Now a year into her diagnosis, she remains on multiple heart medications while continuing to battle fatigue, heart palpitations, and irregular heart rates. As she waits for her repeat echocardiogram, the fear and uncertainty of living with heart failure at just 34 years old weighs heavily on her mind.

Today, Ashley’s still on her road to recovery. She believes that early BNP testing and echocardiograms at the first signs of symptoms could help prevent stories like hers and potentially save mothers’ lives.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

05/19/2026

Not every symptom during pregnancy or postpartum is “normal.”

PPCM is an uncommon form of heart failure that can develop during pregnancy or even months after childbirth. Some women experience symptoms before delivery, while others may not develop signs until weeks or months postpartum.

What’s happening?
The heart becomes weakened and struggles to pump blood effectively throughout the body.

⚠️ Symptoms that should never be ignored:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain or pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Extreme fatigue
• Swelling in legs, feet, or face
• Trouble breathing when lying down
• Persistent cough
• Dizziness or fainting

What people don’t talk about enough:

• PPCM can happen to healthy women with no prior heart history

• Symptoms are often mistaken for anxiety, postpartum recovery, or normal pregnancy discomfort

• Early diagnosis with a BNP blood test and echocardiogram can help save lives

• Delayed care can lead to severe heart failure, ICU admission, transplant, or loss of life

🩺 Trust your body.
If something feels wrong, continue advocating for yourself. It is okay to ask for a BNP Blood Test, echocardiogram, or second opinion.

Awareness matters because too many mothers are told to simply “push through” symptoms that could be life-threatening.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness for mothers everywhere. ❤️‍🩹

05/18/2026

Meet Megan West:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

Residing in Texas, Megan began experiencing severe shortness of breath throughout her pregnancy at age 39, but her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed as asthma and low iron. During her third trimester, she was hospitalized with double pneumonia and nearly lost both her life and her baby. Around the same time, her blood pressure also began rising, and despite multiple visits to both the emergency room and her OB-GYN with symptoms of preeclampsia, she was repeatedly sent home and told to wait it out.

Her baby boy was eventually delivered early by cesarean section, and Megan remained hospitalized for a week due to ongoing blood pressure complications. Even after delivery, she continued experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, and worsening symptoms, but was again told it was related to asthma.

Two months postpartum, she was rushed back to the hospital critically ill with an ejection fraction of just 20%. She was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected.

Only three days into her hospitalization, she suffered two strokes, turning an already devastating diagnosis into an even more difficult battle for survival and recovery.

Today, Megan is still on the road to recovery. She believes that early BNP testing and echocardiograms at the first signs of symptoms could help prevent stories like hers and potentially save mothers’ lives.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

Texas Heart Walk: https://letstalkppcm.org/heart-sisters-%7C-aha

05/17/2026

This PPCM Awareness Week in Texas was a beautiful reminder of the power of community, connection, and awareness. 🫀

was honored to partner with Half Price Books, Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, and Baylor Scott & White Health, to engage with families while spreading awareness about Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and maternal heart health.

Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to connect with heart sisters and their families, newly postpartum mothers, and supportive members of the community who stopped by to learn more, share stories, and support the mission of protecting mothers and their hearts. These meaningful conversations continue to remind us why advocacy and education are so important.

We also want to congratulate the families who won their FREE summer trip to EPIC Waters! ⛱️

Thank you to everyone who visited our table, supported our organization, and helped make this event such a success. Every conversation creates another opportunity for awareness, early recognition, support, and hope for mothers everywhere.

Together, we will continue working to make sure more families know the signs, symptoms, and importance of maternal heart health. ❤️

https://letstalkppcm.org/children-books

05/16/2026

A heart transplant can cost over a million dollars, but the true cost goes far beyond money.

It can carry the weight of another family’s loss, years of medications, emotional healing, mental exhaustion, survivor’s guilt, and the strength it takes to keep living after being given a second chance.

For many mothers with PPCM, awareness and early diagnosis may mean a better chance at keeping their own hearts.

That is why education matters.
That is why speaking up matters.

At the same time, there should always be compassion and empathy for those who need a transplant to survive. A transplant is life-saving, and every survivor deserves support, dignity, and understanding as they process a journey no one ever expects to face after childbirth.

PPCM awareness is not about fear, it is about saving hearts, saving lives, and helping more moms get diagnosed before heart damage becomes irreversible.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org to learn how you can stand with us in protecting moms and their hearts.

(PPCM Awareness Week - Day 7)

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