The Heart Warrior Project

16/06/2026

In this video, I share the five most important insights I’ve gathered over my 27-year journey of living with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, surviving a sudden cardiac arrest, and navigating life as a heart patient.

Whether you are a fellow cardiac arrest survivor or someone living with a heart condition, I hope that at least one or two of these insights can make your journey as a fellow heart warrior feel a little less lonely, difficult, or restrictive.

In this video, I share the five most important insights I’ve gather...

12/06/2026

Some of you know my story, but for those who don’t:

I am Jellis Vaes, a 33-year-old heart warrior ❤️, who was diagnosed at the age of 6 with a life-threatening heart disease called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

I lived, in general, a pretty normal life besides yearly checkups with a cardiologist and a few surgeries here and there.

I climbed many of the highest mountains in the world 🏔️, traveled the world 🌍, started my own company, studied psychology at university.

And then, I died.

At the age of 28, in my sleep, I had a sudden cardiac arrest, and my life changed.

ICD implant, restrictions (I am strongly advised not to raise my heart rate higher than 130 bpm), my heart pump function decreased, chronic medication, more ablation procedures…

For me, I truly started feeling like a heart patient after that event, given so much had changed and become more serious.

Something I shared in a recent presentation for the Belgische Cardiologische Liga, given to a room full of fellow heart warriors, which has massively helped me and may also help you on this journey, is this:

Do something with your pain.

Everything you go through with your heart, this entire journey, all the emotions such as sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment that you feel or carry with you, do something with that pain.

Transform it into something more. Into something else.

For example, I used my pain to create the Heart Warrior Project, turning my pain into meaning.

You could also use your pain to create music, writing, painting, or something else artistic, turning your pain into creativity.

Or use all that has happened to you to be there more and better for others, turning your pain into connection.

Or share with the world what has happened, how you are dealing with this, and how you are living onwards despite the obstacles, turning your pain into inspiration for others.

It can look and be so many things.

From my journey, and my experience dealing with all of this for 27 years now, I have felt the true impact on my quality of life ever since I turned my pain into something more.

04/06/2026

Life can change so quickly. ⚡

One day you're feeling fine, the next day your life gets completely flipped upside down.

My life would have ended at the age of 28 if the right help wouldn’t have been there. ❤️

Surviving a cardiac arrest or living with the risk of having one, dealing with heart disease, lifestyle restrictions, living with an ICD, taking medication… it can all be a lot.

And the journey can be a lonely one, with more downs than ups at times.

I felt very alone on that journey when I had just survived my cardiac arrest.

It’s also the reason why I, in the end, started The Heart Warrior Project.

And over these years, this project has really grown.

The meetups that initially started with just one more cardiac arrest survivor slowly turned into 3, 4, 5, 10, to now 30+ people joining from across the globe. Fellow heart warriors who come together to check in with each other, support one another, and offer a level of understanding that only comes from living through it.

I am sharing this to just let you know that you don’t have to walk this road alone.

There are others out there, and we meet twice every month.

Be sure to follow us, as I will give an announcement when the next meetup will happen here on Facebook.

And if you do decide to join our next meetup, then I, together with many other heart warriors out there, can’t wait to say hi to you. ❤️

See you at the next meetup? 😉

01/06/2026

🌟 “We came from the darkness. We came back from the darkness.”

Becca Travis survived a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 25 while out on a run.

After her cardiac arrest, she went through a period of darkness.

Surviving such an event is often far more challenging than it appears from the outside.

In our conversation, I asked her if she had any words for fellow Heart Warriors who might be going through darkness right now.

If you'd like to listen to the full conversation with Becca, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/KnPTcYi8cTY?si=P6JIVbaV9KOR-zjR

29/05/2026

Over the past few months, I’ve been out training regularly for my kayaking expedition in 2027 🚣‍♂️

Almost every week, I’m out there training for this expedition, which is aimed at raising money for cardiogenetic research.

The fundraiser is already live, and I want to thank everyone who has donated so far.🙏 It genuinely makes a difference.

Rare conditions like cardiomyopathies (which I have) remain significantly underfunded. That feels like a gap we can address. Hereditary diseases affect not only individuals but entire families, and they deserve far more attention and resources.

Because of the worsening of my heart condition, I’m no longer allowed to do high-intensity exercise, such as many of the adventure activities I used to do, as an elevated heart rate can contribute to the progression of the disease.

Kayaking, something I discovered last year, allows me to keep pursuing adventure without pushing my heart rate too high.

So, combining this newfound passion with a greater purpose, I’ll be putting myself out there over the coming year: training, preparing, and documenting the entire journey.

With the hope of inspiring others to donate so we can move the needle toward better treatments and, hopefully, a cure for hereditary heart disease. ❤️🧬

If you want to support the fundraiser for cardiogenetic research, you can do so here: https://acties.uzafoundation.be/en-GB/project/kayakken-voor-cardiogenetisch-onderzoek?tab=overview

27/05/2026

About to live-stream my kayak training for the expedition I am planning in 2027 to raise money for cardiogenetic research. Come say hi!

https://www.youtube.com/live/zjYWMRJaeek?is=dEV4pTIvNThvJsdx

25/05/2026

Back from London. ✈️ I’m still riding the high from celebrating the very first World Heart Warrior Day (May 23rd) with an amazing group of heart warriors: people who survived a cardiac arrest or are living with the risk of one.

People came from all around the world to join us.

Such an incredibly special moment, with incredibly brave, kind, empathetic, and resilient people. ❤️

Stay tuned for WHWD 2027, as I’ll be organizing another international meetup next year. I’m thinking of Vienna, Brussels, Paris, or perhaps London again, but I’m very open to suggestions. 📍

So, feel free to leave a comment with one.

And of course, be sure to follow us to stay notified when more info drops. 🔔

Can’t wait to see familiar faces, new faces, and give lots of hugs to you all on World Heart Warrior Day 2027. ❤️🤗

23/05/2026

On the 23rd of May, we celebrate World Heart Warrior Day. 💪🏻🫀 A day to celebrate us heart warriors.

A moment to pause and recognize the strength and resilience you have shown throughout this journey so far, and to give yourself a pat on the shoulder for fighting through the moments of darkness.

For many of us, being a heart warrior is truly a journey filled with ups and downs, sometimes far more downs than the outside world realizes.

So take this day to celebrate yourself, and know that other heart warriors are out there, wanting to stand beside you through this journey. ❤️

20/05/2026

Perhaps you are about to get an ICD, and you wonder: “What does it actually look like?” 🤍

A group of heart warriors from our community sent in photos and shared short stories about what life with an ICD is really like.

Swipe through to see their scars, different kinds of ICDs, and read part of their stories 🫀

If you want to see more photos from other people, go to heartwarriorproject.com and search for the article titled “Living With an ICD: What It Looks Like on Real People.”

Or, if you’d like to hear their voices, not just see their scars, many of them have also shared their stories on the podcast 🎧

Search “The Heart Warrior Project” on your favorite podcast app or YouTube.

18/05/2026

We are hosting our last meetup of May! 🎉

Meet fellow SCA survivors and people at risk, and connect with others who truly understand what it’s like to be a heart warrior ❤️

https://calendly.com/d/cxwb-27w-nmz/cardiac-comeback-crew-open-discussion