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
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Surviving 8 Shocks and Living with Two Heart Diseases | Axel Verstael
Mar 4, 202500:48:46Tap to summarizeAxel Verstael, a fellow SCA survivor, shares part of his SCA journey in this episode—from receiving eight shocks to being diagnosed with two heart diseases: Brugada Syndrome and ARVC (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy).Despite all the challenges and obstacles Axel has faced, he is one of the most optimistic and positive people I know, truly making the most of this second (or eighth) chance at life.He is currently pursuing a PhD in patient engagement, and I can’t think of a more fitting person to research that subject than Axel
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Q&A: Hereditary Heart Disease and Sudden Cardiac Arrest | Prof. Dr. Saenen and Prof. Dr. Loeys
Dec 20, 202401:35:56Tap to summarizeIn this Q&A episode, I had the absolute pleasure of welcoming two cardiac health experts: Prof. Dr. Saenen, a cardiologist (he’s actually my cardiologist!) and specialist in invasive rhythmology, who is also an expert in hereditary heart diseases and the prevention of sudden cardiac death; and Prof. Dr. Loeys, a clinical genetics specialist, who is the head of the Medical Genetics Center and the Rare Diseases department at Antwerp University Hospital. This fascinating episode provides an in-depth dive into the complex topics of invasive rhythmology, hereditary heart disease, and sudden cardiac arrest. ____ 📰A Newsletter for Heart Warriors📰 This newsletter has zero intention of spamming you every week or so. This is simply a newsletter if you’d like to get notified about any upcoming events (in-person and online), when there is a new podcast episode released, or when there is a health professional appearing soon on the podcast that you can ask a question to. If that’s something you’d like, then sign up: https://heartwarriorproject.com/newsletter/ ____ 🧡Get Involved - Support The Heart Warrior Project🧡 Note that The Heart Warrior Project is run by one guy, which is yes, me (Jellis Vaes). In between work, studies at university, and just life, I try to squeeze in some time almost every day to work on this project. This project takes a lot of work, as I genuinely want to deliver high-quality and helpful content for survivors here. And I do it with a lot of love every day. However, help is always appreciated. If you have found any insights, lessons, or support from this or any other episode, and you’d like to support the project, we have a couple of ways to do so. We offer some awesome-looking merch, such as T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs, with different designs that I personally love wearing/using myself. If you aren’t interested in any merch but still want to support the project, we also accept donations. You can find more information here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved ____ Timestamps Intro 00:00 - 02:55 Who is cardiologist prof. dr. Saenen? 02:55 - 06:23 Who is clinical geneticist prof. dr. Loeys? 06:23 - 10:48 Why does someone develop heart disease? 10:48 - 20:48 Main causes of sudden cardiac arrest 20:48 - 28:29 Why is the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest so low? 28:29 - 31:30 What can we do to increase the survival rate of SCA? 31:30 - 40:45 The future of treatment options for heart disease 40:45 - 45:22 Gene therapy and heart disease 45:00 - 50:18 Developing therapies Dr. Saenen and Dr. Loeys are excited about 50:18 - 53:34 Support The Heart Warrior Project 53:34 - 55:02 Genetic testing and its role in diagnosing cardiac disorders 55:02 - 1:02:35 Why some sudden cardiac arrest survivors stay idiopathic 1:02:35 - 1:05:00 Recognizing the alarm symptoms in cardiac events 1:05:00 - 1:15:55 Magnesium and heart health 1:15:55 - 1:20:00 Understanding when ICDs are implanted and the different kinds 1:20:00 - 1:29:01 The hidden challenges doctors face 1:29:01 - 01:31:00 Outro 1:34:23 - 1:35:56
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Psychologist and Cardiac Arrest Survivor, Joe Fisher (Checkup)
Dec 9, 202400:47:12Tap to summarizePsychologist and cardiac arrest survivor Joe Fisher returns for a check-in episode to share how life has been a year after his last appearance on the show, as he continues his SCA journey.Show notes about this episode can be found here: https://heartwarriorproject.com/psychologist-and-cardiac-arrest-survivor/
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Nov 25, 202400:03:39Tap to summarizeFor more details about the online meetups, visit: https://heartwarriorproject.com/online-meetup-for-cardiac-arrest-survivors/ This is a semi-short, personal video to say thank you for being a part of The Heart Warrior Project. Throughout this project, I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting so many incredible and inspiring fellow survivors (and co-survivors), hosting monthly meetups with fellow SCA survivors, and organizing our first event (with more to come!) together with the Red Cross Flanders on World Restart a Heart Day 2024. So I thank you for being here, for being a part of the project, and for going on this journey with me. If you are a cardiac arrest survivor or someone at risk of experiencing one, and you’d like to connect with other survivors, consider joining our international family. We meet every month and host two online meetups—you’re welcome to join whichever one works best for you. For more information about the online meetups, check out the link below: https://heartwarriorproject.com/online-meetup-for-cardiac-arrest-survivors/
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What is Life Like Living with an ICD Implant? 4 Years Later
Oct 23, 202400:32:02Tap to summarizeFor about four years now, I have been living with an ICD implant, which I received at 28 years old after surviving a sudden cardiac arrest. As a young person, I’ve learned a lot from this experience, and I hope this video, containing all the advice and tips I’ve gathered over the years, can be useful to you. RESOURCES: Episodes mentioned: In-Depth Q&A About ICDs: Former Medtronic Employee, Douglas Rachac (In this Q&A, Douglas Rachac, a former Medtronic employee and a device patient, talks about ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillators).) Mental Care for ICD Carriers and Cardiac Arrest Survivors | Dr. Samuel Sears (Dr. Sears, a clinical health psychologist, discusses mental care for ICD carriers and cardiac arrest survivors on The Heart Warrior Project.) Psychologist Dr. Samuel Sears: Mental Health Challenges of Cardiac Arrest Survivors (Clinical health psychologist Dr. Samuel Sears answers your questions about ICDs and SCA in this Q&A episode of The Heart Warrior Project.) Vital Beat (This is the company I mentioned that offers t-shirts with protective shields for medical device carriers, such as ICDs, S-ICDs, etc.) Cardiac Comeback Crew (Every month, at The Heart Warrior Project, we organize two online meetups that are completely free for cardiac arrest survivors. If you are a survivor, check out the info page and join us if you'd like to meet more survivors.) Living with an ICD (Support Group) (Facebook group) Defibrillator, Pacemaker, and ICD Implant Support Group (Facebook group) PacemakerICD (Reddit group) Products mentioned: Vital Beat (This is the company I mentioned that offers t-shirts with protective shields for medical device carriers, such as ICDs, S-ICDs, etc.) Support groups: Cardiac Comeback Crew (Every month, at The Heart Warrior Project, we organize two online meetups that are completely free for cardiac arrest survivors. If you are a survivor, check out the info page and join us if you'd like to meet more survivors.) Living with an ICD (Support Group) (Facebook group) Defibrillator, Pacemaker, and ICD Implant Support Group (Facebook group) PacemakerICD (Reddit group)
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