LetsTalk PPCM

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We’re dedicated to saving mothers’ lives through education, early detection, and advocacy for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a pregnancy-related form of heart failure that can develop during pregnancy or after childbirth.

10/14/2026

Meet Jen Cleland:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in complete heart failure?

Jen had a normal, healthy pregnancy until around 32 weeks, when her doctor noticed unexpected weight gain and slightly elevated blood pressure. She was placed on bed rest, but soon began experiencing severe shortness of breath and swelling so significant that she could no longer fit into her shoes.

She called her doctor’s office about a dozen times, hoping for answers. Instead, she was repeatedly told that what she was experiencing was “normal pregnancy stuff.”

At 34 weeks, she was admitted to the hospital. Doctors suspected preeclampsia and believed delivering her baby was the best course of action. She underwent a C-section, and her son was immediately taken to the NICU.

But giving birth didn’t make her symptoms go away.

Her swelling worsened. She continued gaining weight, and despite everything she was experiencing, she was discharged from the hospital.

That very night, her breathing became so difficult that she returned to the emergency room. She remembers being unable to lie down because she simply couldn’t breathe.

During a CT scan, she lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was intubated in the ICU, surrounded by machines.

Her heart was functioning at approximately 10%.

She was ultimately diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a serious form of heart failure that can develop during pregnancy or in the months following childbirth.

During her hospitalization, 27lbs of excess fluid were removed from her body. She was reportedly the hospital’s first PPCM case, despite it being the largest medical facility within a 500-mile radius.

Today, Jen is now considered fully recovered. She is using her experience to raise awareness about PPCM and help other women recognize the signs and symptoms of this serious condition.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

10/11/2026

But what if it’s your heart? 💔❤️‍🩹

Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a serious form of heart failure that can occur during pregnancy or after delivery. Some warning signs can look like normal pregnancy or postpartum changes, making awareness so important.

• Shortness of breath
• Extreme fatigue
• Swelling
• A racing or pounding heart
• Difficulty breathing when lying down
• Chest pain or pressure
• Dizziness or fainting

But what do you say when you don't know what to ask to advocate for yourself?

You can start with:

“These symptoms don't feel normal for me. Could we check my heart?”

And don't worry about having the “perfect” medical words.

Tell your provider what changed, when it started, how often it happens, what makes it worse, and how it's affecting your ability to function.

If you feel dismissed, you can ask for an explanation. You can ask what else should be considered. You can seek another medical opinion.

Advocating for yourself doesn't mean assuming you have PPCM. It means recognizing that you know your body, and your concerns deserve to be heard.

🚨 If you are experiencing severe trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, or other severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, seek emergency medical care.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org to learn how you can stand with us in protecting moms and their hearts.

10/08/2026

Meet Lola Denkins:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in complete heart failure?

Just two weeks after successfully delivering healthy twin baby girls, Lola began feeling more tired than usual. She mentioned to her midwife that something was wrong, but was advised to see a psychiatrist for anxiety.

Two more weeks passed, and her symptoms became more severe. She couldn't keep any food down or walk around her home without becoming short of breath.

She went to the emergency room, where she faced a 9-hour wait.

She later learned that her heart was enlarged and that there was fluid buildup. A cardiologist on call diagnosed her with a blood clot, pulmonary embolism, and Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a serious and often unrecognized form of heart failure that can develop during pregnancy or after childbirth.

PPCM weakens the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively throughout the body.

She received treatment and, after a week-long hospital stay, was released to go home with a LifeVest, a wearable defibrillator used to help protect patients at risk for life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms.

Today, Lola is still on her road to recovery. She is using her experience to raise awareness about PPCM and help other women recognize the signs and symptoms of this serious condition.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

10/05/2026

Recovery IS possible, but it’s not guaranteed. 💔

With Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), the heart's pumping ability can become reduced. Some mothers experience significant improvement in heart function with treatment and time.

In some cases, heart function can return to normal or near-normal levels.

But recovery varies from woman to woman. Some mothers continue to have reduced heart function and may need ongoing heart-failure treatment and cardiology follow-up. A small number can develop severe heart failure requiring advanced therapies, including mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation.

And here's the part people don't always realize:
Feeling better doesn't necessarily mean the heart has completely recovered.

A mother may have more energy, less shortness of breath, and feel like herself again while her heart function is still abnormal. That's why follow-up testing, often including an echocardiogram, is important.

“PPCM heart-function recovery is possible. But surviving the crisis doesn't always mean the heart is fully healed.”

Some mothers recover within months.
Others may take years.

Research has documented heart-function recovery occurring from days to more than 10 years after diagnosis.

Don't give up hope because your heart hasn't recovered yet. Recovery can take time, and every heart's journey is different.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org to learn how you can stand with us in protecting moms and their hearts.

10/01/2026

We’re so grateful to the AWHONN Oklahoma Chapter for welcoming us and giving us the opportunity to connect, share, and talk about the importance of maternal heart health and PPCM.

It was a pleasure spending time with such a dedicated group of professionals who continue to advocate for the health and well-being of women and newborns.

Thank you for creating space for education, conversation, and collaboration. Partnerships like this help us reach more healthcare professionals and, ultimately, more mothers who need to know the warning signs of PPCM.

Interested in bringing a PPCM workshop to your healthcare organization, university, nursing program, or community?

Learn more about our PPCM Educational Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

09/28/2026

Meet Bianca Jenner:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

Residing in Australia, at 27 years old, Bianca developed severe chest pain after vomiting. Her heart was beating irregularly before becoming rapid, and she experienced pain traveling down her arm and up her neck. Her husband called an ambulance, concerned that something serious was happening.

When paramedics arrived, she was told she was probably having a panic attack.

At the hospital, the first doctor she saw told her that she was likely sore from “holding her baby” and planned to send her home if her blood tests came back clear. But she knew something was not right.

Her blood work showed elevated markers indicating heart damage. Another doctor took her concerns seriously and ordered additional testing, including a chest X-ray and echocardiogram. During that evaluation, he mentioned a condition she had never heard of before.

Her echocardiogram showed that her heart was struggling, although her ejection fraction (EF) was still just within range. She was initially told it could simply be inflammation and was sent home with a cardiology appointment.

But her pain became worse, and she returned to the hospital the next day.

Despite the previous echocardiogram and blood work showing concerning findings, she was again told that she was fine and was sent home with medication for pain and inflammation.

The following day, she saw the cardiologist. Because of her young age, he was initially skeptical that anything serious was wrong. But when he performed another echocardiogram, he discovered that her EF had dropped significantly since her first hospital visit.

She was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Thankfully, she was eventually diagnosed and placed on medication.

Today, Bianca is still on her road to recovery. She is using her experience to help raise awareness about PPCM and the importance of listening to mothers when they say something doesn't feel right.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

09/26/2026

Wear Your Support. Help Save Mothers’ Hearts.

Every bracelet is more than an accessory. It is an opportunity to start a conversation about Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare and potentially life-threatening form of heart failure that can develop during pregnancy or after childbirth.

When you wear a PPCM Awareness Bracelet, you are helping:

• Raise awareness of PPCM and its warning signs
• Honor mothers whose lives were lost to PPCM
• Stand with survivors and families affected by PPCM
• Encourage conversations that may help a mother recognize when something isn’t right and seek medical attention

Maternal heart health matters, during pregnancy, after delivery, and throughout motherhood.

Whether you are a survivor, heart sister, healthcare professional, loved one, or simply someone who believes mothers’ hearts deserve more attention, your support makes a difference.

Get your PPCM Awareness Bracelet from: HeartMomPPCM.com

For the mothers we lost.
For the mothers who survived.
For the mothers we still have time to save.

And honestly, if we’re going to wear jewelry, it might as well start an important conversation.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org to learn how you can stand with us in protecting moms and their hearts.

09/23/2026

Meet Jessica Grib:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

Around her 33rd week of pregnancy, Jessica’s blood pressure became higher than normal. She was placed on bed rest and prescribed medication, but her condition continued to worsen. Four weeks later, she was scheduled for an induction. During labor, she experienced some difficulty breathing, but like many mothers, she assumed it was simply part of childbirth.

Then, moments after giving birth to her baby girl, everything changed. She became extremely weak and coded. Physicians immediately began CPR, which lasted approximately 10 minutes. She was placed on two forms of advanced life support, ECMO and an Impella heart pump, while doctors worked to save her life.

Her heart’s ejection fraction (EF) was only 5%. A typical healthy EF is generally around 55–70%. She spent weeks in the hospital, separated from her newborn and family while fighting to recover. As her condition improved, she underwent rehabilitation and had to relearn how to walk.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of heart failure that can develop toward the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery.

Today, Jessica is now considered fully recovered. She continues to use her story to raise awareness about PPCM and encourage other women and families to recognize that heart failure can happen during pregnancy or after childbirth, even when someone appears young and healthy.

She believes that early BNP blood testing and echocardiograms when symptoms first appear could help identify heart problems sooner and potentially save mothers' lives.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

09/21/2026

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of heart muscle weakness that can develop during pregnancy or after delivery.

Women's Health IS Cardiovascular Health.

A recent CNN report highlighted a major issue in women's healthcare: 51% of women surveyed reported experiencing at least one negative healthcare experience, while 34% said a provider had minimized or dismissed their symptoms or pain. Gallup.com

For women experiencing cardiovascular symptoms, the stakes can be especially high.

PPCM can cause severe heart dysfunction and can be associated with serious complications, including blood clots, stroke and heart failure. Research has also identified an association between PPCM and myocardial infarction (heart attack). NHLBI, NIH +2

That's why we believe the conversation shouldn't stop at “Are women being heard?”

How do we bridge the gap between women's experiences and the care they receive?

We are committed to helping bridge the gap between mothers, families, communities and healthcare professionals, so that more women have access to information that can help them recognize potential warning signs and seek appropriate care.

There's much more work to do.
Because women's health isn't just reproductive health.

We're continuing to build, learn, collaborate and create meaningful ways to support maternal cardiovascular health.

Visit https://letstalkppcm.org to learn how you can stand with us in protecting moms and their hearts.

Address

Grand Prairie, TX

Website

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African Solar Electric Light Foundation (ASEL
613 W. Main Street suite 303, Arlington

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