(00:00:00) Naming the Unspoken

(00:00:26) Welcome and Topic Setup

(00:01:21) Meet the Panel

(00:04:07) Corinne on Life Decades

(00:06:55) Insurance and Anxiety Relief

(00:09:18) Jen Finds Her Voice

(00:12:25) Kerri on Safety and Trauma

(00:15:54) Perimenopause and Aging

(00:23:25) Fertility and Future Planning

(00:24:25) Grief and Adapted Life

(00:27:06) Coping Tools and Walking

(00:31:25) Gaps in Emotional Prep

(00:39:42) Holistic Joy and Triggers

(00:40:34) Trauma Body Holds Joy

(00:41:42) Panel Thanks and Break

(00:43:19) Audience Q&A Begins

(00:44:04) Pioneer Pressure and Labels

(00:48:10) No Break From CHD

(00:49:50) Mental Health Coverage Gaps

(00:51:02) Patient Provider Dual Role

(00:54:23) Tools to Recenter

(00:56:13) Sponsor Disclaimer and Books

(00:57:02) Co-Producers React

(00:59:23) Surprises Early Menopause

(01:02:52) Advocacy and Therapy Access

(01:07:12) Building Standardized Support

(01:11:13) Closing Thanks and Ways Connect

On the CHC Podcast, host Anna Jaworski and co-host Annie Ulchak discuss overlooked emotional transitions in congenital heart disease (CHD), beyond the shift from pediatric to adult cardiology. Guests Dr. Corinne Smorra, Jennifer Angelone, and Kerri Pastot share how lived experience shapes their mental health work, addressing social challenges, advocacy, medical trauma, and the need for coping tools.

The episode explores insurance flexibility into adulthood, the pressure of being labeled “resilient,” and new realities like perimenopause and aging with CHD, including concerns about limited research and medications. Panelists highlight gaps in standardized, lifespan emotional support and emphasize holistic care, integrated services, and learning to self-regulate through therapy, community, and practical strategies. Producers and audience members add perspectives on late diagnosis, grief, triggers, and access barriers to counseling.

You can find our guests on Instagram:
Jennifer Angelone: @jenniferangelonelmhc
Kerri Pastot: @kerrilynnx3
Corinne Smorra: @heartandmindcounseling

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

(00:00:00) Welcome And Why Heart Camps Matter

(00:02:50) Beat Retreat Begins For Adults

(00:03:52) Camp Life Plus Anonymous Q&A

(00:05:53) Camp Meridian For Kids And Teens

(00:09:15) Accessibility And Self Advocacy Skills

(00:12:56) Building Trust With Medical Volunteers

(00:14:09) Funding And Staffing Reality Checks

(00:17:27) A Transplant Hike Success Story

(00:21:44) Mental Health And Feeling Less Alone

(00:26:25) Audience Q&A On Dates And Volunteering

(00:31:09) Family Weekends And Sibling Support

(00:33:46) Go Anyway If You Are Nervous

(00:36:00) Private Questions And Aging With CHD

(00:38:00) Producer Roundtable Reflections

(00:42:54) Why Adult CHD Camps Need Donors

(00:47:30) Final Takeaways And Farewell

Heart camp sounds simple until you hear what it gives back: a place where scars are normal, bathroom breaks on diuretics are understood, and nobody has to explain the basics of living with a congenital heart defect. We sit down with two powerful voices in the CHD community to talk about how camps create belonging and confidence for kids, teens, and adults who often grow up feeling like they are the only one.

Shelagh Ross, a lifelong CHD patient and global advocate, walks us through Beat Retreat Camp in Ontario, Canada, a rare adult congenital heart disease camp that mixes classic camp fun with real-world support. We get into the activities, the unexpected friendships, and the anonymous Q&A with cardiac professionals where people can ask “private” questions without embarrassment. Shelagh also explains the behind-the-scenes challenges: funding, insurance, travel across a huge province, and the effort it takes to staff a medically safe weekend for adults who may be managing repeat surgeries, devices, or heart failure.

Margaret Raymond, a CHD patient and longtime Camp Meridian volunteer, shares how this New Hampshire heart camp serves ages 8 to 17 with youth, teen, and navigator programs built around adventure, self-advocacy, and mental health. We talk accessibility, meeting campers where they are, and why learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable can change a young person’s entire relationship with anxiety and independence.

If this conversation sparks something in you, share it with a CHD family, consider supporting a heart camp, and subscribe so you do not miss what comes next. If you found value here, please leave a review and tell us what kind of heart camp story you want to hear.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Camp Meridian: https://www.campmeridian.org/
Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance: https://cchaforlife.org/
Facebook Page for The Beat Retreat: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebeatretreatcamp/
Hearts Unite the Globe's Camp page: https://www.heartsunitetheglobe.com/camps
Camp Joy: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/institute/heart/clinical/patient-resources/family-camp

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

(00:00:00) Welcome And Meet The Panel

(00:03:12) The First Appointment Shock

(00:06:39) Dismissed Symptoms And Second Opinions

(00:08:16) Fight Or Flight And Family Pressure

(00:12:01) How To Prepare For The Visit

(00:15:47) Listener Stories And Finding Agency

(00:18:08) Partners As Advocates And Witnesses

(00:21:14) Navigating The New Normal Daily

(00:23:16) Valve Choices Insurance And Tradeoffs

(00:25:57) Relationship Strain Divorce And Support

(00:30:06) Producers Debrief What Stood Out

(00:42:40) Takeaways, Advocacy, And Closing

One cardiology appointment can redraw your whole life in minutes. We sit with that moment right after the shock, when you’re trying to listen, breathe, and make decisions about a heart you barely understand yet, and we talk honestly about what helps you move from diagnosis to direction.

Our panel brings three angles that rarely get held together in one conversation: Aryton shares the relief and fear of finally being diagnosed with drug-induced Long Q-T Syndrome after not being taken seriously, Monique talks about hearing a congenital heart disease diagnosis while eight months pregnant and then parenting through surgeries and siblings’ questions, and Peyton describes the whiplash of getting new answers as an adult CHD patient and facing another open-heart surgery. Along the way, we dig into real-world details that shape outcomes, from taking notes when you dissociate, to getting a second opinion, to not spiraling on “Dr. Google” or misreading portal results.

We also go beyond the exam room into what living with CHD actually demands: how partners and friends become your extra set of ears, how insurance and referrals can slow care, how relationships can strain or break, and how advocacy can look as simple as asking, “Can we wait until after summer?” If you or someone you love is facing a first cardiology visit for congenital heart defects, this conversation offers practical tools, emotional validation, and a reminder that support changes everything.

Subscribe for more congenital heart conversations, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more CHD families and patients can find these stories.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

(00:00:00) Introductions And Stroke Risk In CHD

(00:03:40) What The First Symptoms Felt Like

(00:10:09) Stroke Watch Meds And Follow Up

(00:12:21) The Surprising Aftereffects Of Stroke

(00:17:27) Listen To Your Body And Advocate

(00:24:27) Audience Q&A Real World Stories

(00:30:40) Talking About Risk Without Fear

(00:36:24) Sensory Overload Memory And Identity

(00:46:36) Retraining Movement And Living With Limits

(00:57:14) Why So Many Drove Themselves

(01:00:09) Keeping Agency In Emergency Care

(01:07:58) Takeaways And Next Month Preview

A stroke can feel like a sudden plot twist, especially when you have spent your whole life adapting to congenital heart disease. We sit down with CHD adults who have lived through stroke and TIA scares, and they describe the moment symptoms crossed from “that’s weird” to “something is seriously wrong” and what they wish they had known sooner about stroke risk with congenital heart defects.

Jared Berninger (tricuspid atresia, Fontan) shares how his stroke showed up in everyday tasks and how community support changed over time. Shauna Simpson (transposition of the great arteries, Mustard procedure, pacemaker and stents) talks about a frightening TIA-like event, the confusion when clinicians disagree, and the follow-up that included anticoagulation. Rebecca Davis (complex d-TGA, VSD, ASD, double outlet right ventricle, staged Fontan) walks us through multiple strokes, being dismissed at first, and the reality of advocating for yourself when a local hospital does not understand adult congenital heart disease.

We also dig into what recovery actually looks like: sensory overload, word-finding delays, memory issues, balance problems, fatigue, and the anxiety that makes every tingle feel like a relapse. The conversation turns to agency in emergency care, why so many CHD patients try to keep control by driving themselves to the ER, and how to build a safer plan that still respects autonomy. If you are living with Fontan circulation, complex CHD, arrhythmias, or anticoagulation, you will hear language you can use, questions to ask, and reminders that stroke is scary but not the end of your story.

Subscribe for more adult congenital heart disease conversations, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more CHD families can find these stories. What warning sign would you never ignore after hearing these experiences?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

(00:00:00) A Lifelong Patient’s Reality

(00:01:16) What Triggers Pre-Op Anxiety

(00:04:10) Frank’s OR Calm And Clear Words

(00:09:05) Hypnotic Rapport And Familiar Voices

(00:14:45) Music Therapy Tools That Work

(00:24:25) Therapy Dogs And Instant Relief

(00:31:05) Regulation Biology Oxytocin And Stress

(00:38:35) Breathing Cues Control And Consent

(00:45:00) Listener Stories Trauma And Agency

(00:54:45) Producer Takeaways Everyday Calm Skills

(00:57:05) Resources Next Topic And Community

The moments before anesthesia can feel like your body is betraying you: racing heart, shaky hands, spiralling thoughts, and that terrible sense that you’ve lost control. We want to change what those minutes feel like. Anna Jaworski and Nicholle Bilodeau sit down with a panel that understands both the science and the lived reality of medical fear, especially for people who face repeat procedures through congenital heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Frank Jaworski, a nurse anesthetist with hypnotherapy training and the parent of a CHD patient, explains how calm starts with communication. He talks about choosing the right level of detail, avoiding frightening language, and using voice, eye contact, and orientation, so waking up is less disorienting.

Kathleen Brown, a board-certified music therapist, breaks down what music therapy actually does neurologically and emotionally, from regulating breathing tempo to engaging memory and attention in ways that reduce anxiety.

Dr .Kate Lund, a clinical psychologist, shares how therapy dog visits with Wally at Seattle Children’s Hospital can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, spark connection, and bring real relief to patients, families, and even hospital staff.

We also open the floor to listener stories about medical trauma, PTSD, and the power of agency, whether that looks like singing along to music during a procedure or asking a clinician to change positioning so you can see what’s happening. If you’re searching for pre-op anxiety tips, coping skills before surgery, or compassionate tools for patients and caregivers, this conversation offers options you can actually use. Subscribe, share with someone facing a procedure, and leave a review with your go-to calming strategy.






Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

(00:00:00) Welcome!

(00:02:06) A Heart Dad Chooses Hope

(00:04:14) Demi's Miracle Through Music

(00:08:23) Coping with Trauma Through Faith

(00:11:48) Why Men's Mental Health Matters

(00:15:11) CHD Resources and Listener Email

(00:16:02) Community Questions on Resilience

(00:18:58) Parenting From Across the Country

(00:26:04) Gratitude Survivor Guilt Therapy

(00:31:15) How to Support "Tested Love"

(00:34:20) Panel Reactions from CHD Community

(00:41:37) Siblings and the Hidden Grief

(00:48:45) Connection as the Core Takeaway

(00:53:59) Closing and Where to Find Us

Three days to live is the kind of sentence that splits life into before and after. Heart dad Danny Espinoza takes us back to the fear of an in utero diagnosis, the pressure to give up, and the choice to keep going anyway. Fifteen years later, his daughter Demi is still here after tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, MAPCAs, 13 open heart surgeries, ECMO, and a level of medical trauma that most families can barely imagine.

Filmmaker Sara-Jane Walsh joins us to share why she’s making Tested Love, a short documentary that focuses on fatherhood, faith, and mental health in the congenital heart disease community. We talk about how music can become a lifeline, how community support turns isolation into connection, and why honest storytelling can reach far beyond the hospital walls.

We also name what often stays unspoken: depression, anxiety, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and the stigma around men seeking help. Danny shares what therapy changed for him, how he learned to advocate by asking hard medical questions, and what it means to show your kids that it’s okay to cry while still refusing to quit.

If you’ve ever lived through the cardiac ICU, supported someone with CHD, or wondered how families rebuild after crisis, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more congenital heart conversations, share this with a heart family who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Link to Here's Heart Hope Project: https://bit.ly/47Kf7q0

Here's Hope Project Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hereshopeproject

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

In the first episode of Season 4, Anna Jaworski announces that The CHC Podcast: Congenital Heart Conversations has been reintroduced as Congenital Heart Chronicles after listener voting. This reflects the show’s focus on lived-experience stories and improved discoverability. Anna is joined on video by core volunteers Annie Ulchak (hypoplastic left heart syndrome Fontan patient), Ayrton Beatty (bereaved sibling with drug-induced long QT syndrome), and Nicholle Bilodeau (bicuspid aortic valve diagnosed at 44 with surgery a week later) to discuss the rebrand’s goals, risks, and minimal changes to content and format. They preview 2026 episodes on menopause, gratitude, CHD documentary “Tested Love,” dog therapy, music therapy, hypnotherapy, stroke awareness, emotional transitions, caregiving, World Heart Day, and nonprofits, and share ways to volunteer, sponsor, or join the Hearts Unite the Globe community.



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

(00:00:00) Introduction and Episode Overview

(00:00:17) Meet the Hosts and Co-Producer

(00:01:04) Introducing Today's Guests

(00:03:34) Misconceptions About Hospice Care

(00:06:14) Psychological Perspectives on Hospice

(00:09:32) Palliative Care for Children

(00:17:59) Communicating with Children About Death

(00:22:19) Balancing Emotional, Spiritual, and Physical Needs

(00:24:30) Changing Society's Approach to Death

(00:31:46) Navigating Uncertainty with Congenital Heart Defects

(00:35:05) Small Acts of Kindness

(00:35:49) Learning from Life's Experiences

(00:36:04) Hope and Quality of Life

(00:36:34) Acknowledging Life's Realities

(00:37:26) Panelists' Closing Remarks

(00:38:09) Heartwarming Stories and Resources

(00:39:01) End of Life Care Discussion

(00:39:50) Importance of Acceptance and Preparation

(00:40:59) Personal Experiences with End of Life

(00:44:34) Role of Medical Professionals

(00:53:08) Children and End of Life Conversations

(00:58:37) Final Thoughts and Takeaways

(01:03:10) Upcoming Changes and Farewell

In this heartfelt episode of The CHC Podcast: Congenital Heart Conversations, hosts Anna Jaworski and Annie Ulchak, both deeply connected to the congenital heart defect community, delve into the sensitive topic of end-of-life care. Joined by expert panelists, including pre-planning specialist Rosa Hernandez, mental health professional Dr. Michael Groat, and palliative care nurse Maureen Groden, they explore misconceptions about hospice care, the psychological and emotional aspects of end-of-life discussions, and the importance of normalizing conversations about death. Personal stories, practical advice, and a focus on honest communication provide listeners with valuable insights into navigating these challenging times.

Maureen Groden's book is entitled, When a Loved One is Dying: Conversations about Care, Connection, and Coping. Available at Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

In this powerful episode of The CHC Podcast: Congenital Heart Conversations, host Anna Jaworski and co-host Ayrton Beatty honor Trans Awareness Month by delving into the intersection of congenital heart defects (CHD) and trans identities. Featuring heartfelt discussions with three unique guests—Hope Jaworski, Helen, and Kai Ayscue—the episode sheds light on the challenges faced by those living with CHD while navigating their gender identities. The episode also highlights the emotional and psychological impacts, including medical trauma, and the importance of support from both family and healthcare providers. With raw and inspiring stories, this episode aims to foster greater understanding and awareness within the CHD and broader communities.



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.

In the 10th episode of season three of The CHC Podcast: Congenital Heart Conversations, host Anna Jaworski and co-host Ayrton Beatty discuss the importance of understanding CPR and sudden cardiac arrest.

Guests Ben Weisbuch, a survivor of 135 sudden cardiac arrests and founder of the Heart Hope Foundation, and Dr. John Rogers, a cardiologist specializing in heart rhythm disorders and advocate for CPR and AED education, join them.

The episode explores Ben's astonishing survival story, the genetic discovery linked to his condition, the latest advances in prevention and treatment, and the critical role of community awareness and education in saving lives.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support.