Listening to the Heart: Lived Experience as a Catalyst for Better Cardiac Care

What happens when surviving cancer in your 20s leads to a completely different health journey decades later? In this powerful episode of Amplify: Elevating Patient Voices, hosts Ursula Mann and Anne-Marie Hayes sit down with Jackie to explore the realities of women’s heart health, delayed diagnosis, and why patient-led advocacy is changing the future of care.After surviving Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at 24, Jackie went on to build a successful career in fashion and live what she thought was a healthy, “normal” life — until nearly 20 years later, she experienced chemotherapy-induced heart failure. What began as flu-like symptoms eventually led to a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, opening her eyes to the long-term “legacy” cancer treatment can leave behind.Today, Jackie is a passionate advocate working to improve awareness, access to care, and support systems for women living with heart disease. She shares why women are still too often misdiagnosed, how heart disease symptoms can look very different in women, and why advocacy starts with simply believing that your health matters.This episode is an urgent and empowering conversation about equalizing care, listening to lived experience, and ensuring women are no longer treated as “small men” in cardiovascular medicine.Why You Should ListenLearn how chemotherapy and cancer treatments can impact heart health decades laterHear why women’s heart disease symptoms are still frequently overlooked or misdiagnosedUnderstand the growing connection between gynecology, hormones, and cardiologyDiscover the importance of patient-led support communities and advocacyGain practical insights into heart health risk factors every woman should knowExplore how Canada and global organizations are working to improve women’s cardiac careEpisode Highlights00:32 – Why women’s heart health remains under-researched and misunderstood04:35 – Jackie’s cancer diagnosis at 24 and the long-term effects of treatment06:32 – Discovering chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy nearly 20 years later07:54 – The moment Jackie’s mother pushed her to request an EKG09:49 – The alarming statistics around women and heart disease misdiagnosis12:42 – Feeling isolated while searching for trustworthy patient support16:48 – Jackie’s advice for women: “Put yourself first”18:12 – Hidden heart disease risk factors linked to hormones, pregnancy, and autoimmune conditions22:48 – Why women are still being treated as “small men” in research and medication dosing25:30 – What “bikini medicine” means and why it limits women’s care28:24 – Canada’s progress in women’s heart health and the new national women’s health framework30:43 – Jackie’s “Heart Warrior Queens” philosophy: love boldly, live bravely, lead your own journeyResources & OrganizationsHeartLife FoundationHeartLife Women / Life in HeartsCanadian Women’s Heart Health AllianceGlobal Heart HubBill S-243: An Act to establish a national framework for women’s health in CanadaAbout JackieJackie is a patient advocate living with chemotherapy-induced heart failure following treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in her 20s. After nearly two decades working in the fashion industry as an apparel buyer, her diagnosis inspired her to dedicate her life to advocacy and women’s heart health awareness.She is the