Heart2Heart Talk with Mary Burrell
Heart2Heart Talk with Mary Burrell
Podcast Description
I’m Mary Burrell, a hospice survivor and one of the first patients in the U.S. to receive a transcatheter tricuspid valve through an early feasibility clinical trial. A procedure still in testing and not yet FDA-approved. Now, I’m using that chance to speak up for patients, caregivers, and anyone trying to navigate a healthcare system without a clear roadmap
Heart 2 Heart Talk is where real conversations happen. We talk about the emotional, physical, and practical sides of survival. From clinical innovation to caregiver burnout, from broken systems
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores various themes including clinical innovation, caregiver burnout, and patient advocacy, with episodes that feature personal stories like Mary’s journey through hospice and clinical trials, and discussions on the emotions involved in caregiving, highlighting individual narratives and systemic healthcare challenges.
I’m Mary—a hospice survivor living with heart failure and tricuspid valve disease.
This podcast shares real stories from patients, caregivers, and heart health experts.
We talk about:
What it’s like to live with heart valve disease
Going through clinical trials
Mental health and feeling unheard in the medical system
Being a caregiver while also being a patient
The power of patient advocacy and speaking up
💡 New episodes weekly — real talk, hard truths, healing stories.
👉 Follow for a community that speaks from the heart — for the heart.
💌 Bonus content + updates: maryburrell.com
Welcome back to Heart2Heart Talk, where we speak from the heart, for the heart.
This season, we’ve been pulling back the curtain on clinical trials — what works, what needs fixing, and what it feels like to walk this road as a patient or caregiver.
In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when research finally crosses into real life:
👉 How does innovation move from a lab… to an actual bedside?
👉 What helps patients feel safe saying “yes” to something new?
👉 And what does real shared decision-making look like when the stakes are high?
Mary is joined by Dr. Sameer Gafoor, an interventional cardiologist at Swedish Medical Center known for blending innovation with heart-centered care. He’s one of those rare physicians who listens deeply, explains clearly, and guides patients through every step — especially when research becomes part of their treatment options.
Together, they explore:
• What “bringing research to the bedside” really looks like
• Why trust and clear communication matter more than anything
• The emotional side of trial enrollment — for patients and providers
• Barriers teams face with paperwork, logistics, and timing
• How shared decision-making builds confidence and connection
• What needs to shift so trials become more open, diverse, and patient-friendly
• Why the future of research depends on listening to lived experience
If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes before a patient gets access to something new, this episode brings you right into the room.
🧠 About Our Guest – Dr. Sameer Gafoor
Dr. Gafoor is an interventional cardiologist and a national leader in structural-heart innovation at Swedish Medical Center. He’s known for:
✔ Bringing complex research into real patient care
✔ Leading teams that blend innovation with compassion
✔ Explaining options in clear, plain language
✔ Championing shared decision-making as the heart of good medicine
His work sits right where science, humanity, and trust meet — which is exactly why he’s the perfect voice for this conversation.
🔗Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute
About HeartBridge Collective
HeartBridge Collective is a patient-led community changing the way heart valve patients and caregivers connect, learn, and feel supported. We bridge real stories, lived experience, and expert insight so patients never have to walk this road alone. Through peer support, honest conversations, and advocacy that pushes the system forward, we’re building a space where every voice matters — and every heart has a place to land.
https://www.maryburrell.com/heartbridgecollective
Bridging hearts, minds, and innovation — one lived experience at a time.
#Heart2HeartTalk #ClinicalTrials #InclusiveResearch
#PatientCenteredResearch #HeartBridgeCollective
#LivedExperience #HealthLiteracy #HospiceSurvivor
#TricuspidValveMiracle #PatientExperience
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