Podcast
Heart Warrior Project: For cardiac arrest survivors & those at risk
Hosted by Jellis Vaes · EN
I’m Jellis Vaes, founder of The Heart Warrior Project and a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. I started this project after experiencing firsthand how intense and life-altering this journey can be, and how little emotional support is available. The Heart Warrior Project is dedicated to supporting cardiac arrest survivors and those at risk. On the podcast, I sit down not only with fellow heart warriors but also with cardiologists, psychologists, and other experts to explore both the physical and emotional sides of recovery.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Heart Warriors Make the Best Romantic Partners (Here's Why)
Feb 100:13:36Tap to summarizeLove 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 make extraordinary partners.____________❤️ Help Me Keep the Project Alive! ❤️If you found this episode helpful, consider supporting the project to help keep the heart of The Heart Warrior Project beating. Your support is greatly needed.You can donate, become a member, or browse our merch through the following link: https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved/Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪
Transcribe →Upcoming Health Expert! Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Jan 2800:05:28Tap to summarizeDr. Sanjay Gupta, a consultant cardiologist at York Teaching Hospital in the UK, with a specialist focus on cardiac imaging, lifestyle medicine, and patient empowerment, is joining the podcast in a couple of days for a Q&A episode.What questions do you have for Dr. Gupta on cardiac imaging, lifestyle and patient empowerment, or medications — benefits vs side effects?You can leave your questions by going to this page:https://heartwarriorproject.com/experts/Questions can be submitted until February 12, 2026.
Transcribe →ICD Shocks: How Painful Are They—and How Do You Cope Afterward?
Jan 100:44:48Tap to summarizeIf this episode was helpful, consider supporting The Heart Warrior Project through merch, donations, or become a Heart Warrior Patron. 👉 https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved/After leaving the hospital, we don’t receive a manual on how to cope with the mental load of living with an ICD, or what to do if a shock occurs.That’s why I created this in-depth video/podcast episode, where members of our community—Will, Elise, and myself—share their personal experiences of receiving an ICD shock and what helped them navigate it.We’re also joined by Dr. Sears, a clinical health psychologist specializing in quality of life for people with ICDs, who offers professional insights on coping with anxiety, responding to a shock, and rebuilding confidence afterward.I hope this episode can serve as a guide and provide meaningful support for living with an ICD.Cardiac Comeback Crew (Online Meetup)Want to meet fellow SCA survivors or those who are at high risk? Come join our international family of heart warriors. It’s completely free. Every month, we host two online meetups. Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Instagram to stay informed about when the next one will happen.https://heartwarriorproject.com/newsletter/https://www.instagram.com/heartwarriorproject/
Transcribe →2025 Reflections & What’s Ahead for the Heart Warrior Project in 2026
Dec 1500:11:51Tap to summarizeI 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 Warrior Project better, and I want to do this together with you.You can find the feedback form via the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf40ScqfcMFtABRXSXeXVma6_04zUegCxUTGzrcyXjku443gA/viewform?usp=headerIt’s completely anonymous, so please feel free to be as honest as you can.Thank you for being here. Happy holidays to you all! See you again in 2026.
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Facing a Progressive Heart Disease: George’s Story
Nov 200:55:06Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, I talk with George Biesmans, a fellow heart warrior from our community, to discuss the complexities of living with heart disease and the progressive heart disease he has, DSP cardiomyopathy. George shares the emotional impact of the diagnosis, the uncertainty of the condition, and the challenges of navigating relationships and life in general.If, after this episode, you’d like to learn even more about life with progressive heart disease, be sure to check out the full in-depth episode I made, which also includes parts of George’s story. In it, Karen, George, and I (all living with progressive heart disease) share our personal insights, together with Dr. Sears, a clinical health psychologist, who shares his professional insights on life with progressive heart disease.❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️If you found this video/episode helpful, consider supporting this project to keep it going and to allow me to continue creating more content. You can donate, become a member, or browse our merch through the following link: https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved/🙏 Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪
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Living with an ICD – Insights from Medtronic Expert Douglas Rachac
Jul 23, 202501:01:51Tap to summarizeShow notes can be found here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/living-with-an-icd-douglas-rachac/____________❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️If you found this video/episode helpful, consider supporting this project to keep it going and to allow me to continue creating more content. You can donate, become a member, or browse our merch through the following link: https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved/🙏 Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪____________About this episode: We at the Heart Warrior Project had the absolute pleasure of welcoming Douglas Rachac once again, a former Medtronic employee and an invaluable source of knowledge for anyone living with an ICD. Doug is my go-to person whenever I need clear, practical information about ICDs, and I often check his videos and posts for insights.I sincerely hope you find valuable information in this live Q&A meetup we did with Douglas Rachac on living with an ICD. If you’d like to join one of these live Q&A meetups in the future, be sure to follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.Also, if you’d like to spend even more time learning from Doug after this episode, check out the first interview I did with him on The Heart Warrior Project, titled In-Depth Q&A About ICDs: Former Medtronic Employee Douglas Rachac.
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My Children Performed CPR On Me: Chana’s Story of Surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Jul 9, 202500:57:43Tap to summarize❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️If you found this video/episode helpful, consider supporting this project to keep it going and to allow me to continue creating more content. You can donate, become a member, or browse our merch through the following link: https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved/🙏 Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪________Chaya Chana, a family and relationship therapist and fellow sudden cardiac arrest survivor, shares in this episode of The Heart Warrior Project how her children had to call an ambulance and perform CPR on her when she collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest.Show notes can be found here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/children-performed-cpr-chaya-chana/
Transcribe →Upcoming Health Expert! Dr. Danielle Belardo
May 23, 202500:04:45Tap to summarizeDr. Belardo is a board-certified Preventive Cardiologist known for her focus on lifestyle medicine, evidence-based nutrition, and cardiometabolic health. Got questions about nutrition, heart health, or preventing disease through lifestyle? Ask your question by clicking on the following link: https://heartwarriorproject.com/experts/_____❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️Consider supporting this project to keep it going and to allow me to continue creating more content. You can do this by leaving a small donation on Ko-Fi or by becoming a Heart Warrior Patron, which comes with some great perks 🎉✨.🔗 Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/heartwarriorprojectOf course, we also have some pretty cool merch 😎👕, including hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and bottles. You can check it out here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/merchandise/🙏 Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪
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How to Regulate Your Stress and Anxiety as an SCA Survivor | Paige Arnone
Apr 4, 202501:04:05Tap to summarizePaige Arnone—yoga teacher and founder of Firstgevity, a health and wellness business dedicated to first responders, who has also been working more with SCA survivors—joins us in this episode to dive into a topic that affects so many survivors: stress and anxiety.Since stress and anxiety are common challenges for SCA survivors and those with an ICD, I wanted to dedicate this episode to exploring practical techniques, tools, and strategies to help you manage them.Show notes can be found here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/paige-arnone-regulate-your-stress-and-anxiety/_____❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️☕ If you found this video/episode helpful, consider supporting this project to keep it going and to allow me to continue creating more content. You can do this by leaving a small donation on Ko-Fi to treat me to a virtual coffee ☕💙 or by exploring the membership tiers we offer on Ko-Fi, which come with some great perks 🎉✨.🔗 Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/heartwarriorprojectOf course, we also have some pretty cool merch 😎👕, including hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and bottles. You can check it out here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/merchandise/🙏 Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪
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What’s It Like to Have a Cardiac Ablation? My Personal Experience & Insights from Dr. Saenen
Mar 18, 202500:41:16Tap to summarizeThis episode offers a deep dive from someone who has undergone four ablations. I share my experience of going through this procedure under both general and local anesthesia, offering insights, tips, and what you can expect. In between, Prof. Dr. Johan Saenen will explain the technical aspects of the procedure. Dr. Saenen is a cardiologist specializing in invasive rhythmology, hereditary heart diseases, and the prevention of sudden cardiac death. He is also my cardiologist and has performed two of my ablations.❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️☕ If you found this episode helpful, consider supporting this project to keep it going and to allow me to continue creating more content. You can do this by leaving a small donation on Ko-Fi to treat me to a virtual coffee ☕💙 or by exploring the membership tiers we offer on Ko-Fi, which come with some great perks 🎉✨.🔗 Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/heartwarriorprojectOf course, we also have some pretty cool merch 😎👕, including hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and bottles. You can check it out here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/merchandise/🙏 Thank you, truly, for supporting this project! ❤️💪TimestampsIntro 00:00 - 02:16What is an ablation? | Dr. Saenen 02:16 - 05:99Why I already had 4 ablations so far 05:99 - 08:19How many ablations can one have? | Dr. Saenen 08:19 - 10:14Tips to make your stay at the hospital more comfortable 10:14 - 13:46❤️Help Me to Keep The Project Alive! ❤️ 13:46 - 15:24Insights and tips for when you’re on your way into the surgery room 15:27 - 18:01The different ablations techniques | Dr. Saenen 18:01 - 23:41What does the procedure feel like (under local anesthesia)? 23:41 - 27:41Do ablations last? | Dr. Saenen 27:41 - 32:10Insights and tips for after the procedure 32:10 - 36:33When the procedure fails 36:33 - 38:12The side effects of an ablation | Dr. Saenen 38:12 - 39:31Final words 39:31 - 41:20
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