Louise Pickford || The Art of Living with a Congenital Defect of the Heart

*Please be aware that this episode discusses living with a congenital heart defect, fertility challenges and depression. Louise Pickford was born with Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries, which is a rare heart defect. In congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA), the heart twists abnormally during fetal development, and the ventricles are reversed: The stronger left ventricle pumps blood to the lungs and the weaker right ventricle has the harder chore of pumping blood to the entire body. The right ventricle is not built to last as long as the left ventricle. With this can come a handful of challenges. With this can come some incredible growth too. Lou shares with us the challenges and triumphs of a life with a congenital heart condition. If you would like resources relating to miscarriage, you are able to access support and information online through SANDS and the Pink Elephants Support Network. If you are concerned about someone who is struggling and finding it difficult to see their way out of grief or mental challenges, then we highly recommend Question. Persuade. Refer. QPR training, which Emma and Lain talked about in the first episode of Season 1. You can access the training ⁠here.⁠ Type in the code CSA to take the training free of cost. This training is funded by Country SA PHN. We thank them for their support in the Suicide Prevention space- an area we believe is important to put energy towards. We hope you enjoy this episode. Remember to subscribe so you don't miss any of the future MFEP+ME episodes! *MFEP+ME is a project created within the program Mentally Fit EP (MFEP). MFEP aims to empower people to take charge of their lives and to build mentally fit, connected communities. We believe mental health is everyone's business! Thank you to our NFP organisation, West Coast Youth and Community Support, for making MFEP a possibility! A rock star organisation with rock star staff! A BIG thank you to the Cummins and Port Lincoln Community Banks for supporting Mentally Fit EP and this podcast through their grant programs. A special thank you to Elke Hill and Sally Bronca for choosing the MFEP+ME podcast as an important initiative that was worth investing their staff sponsorship in. Helpline Numbers and EP Counselling services are pinned to the top of the Mentally Fit EP Facebook page Lifeline 131 114 Regional Access 1300 032 186 Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467