Leading Through Stories: Storytelling in Congenital Heart Disease Care

In a world where healthcare often seems impersonal and daunting, the art of storytelling emerges as a powerful means to bridge the gap between patients and providers, offering a sense of humanity amidst clinical settings. The latest episode of our podcast presents an enlightening conversation with Vittorio Borrelli, a man whose life is a testament to resilience and courage in the face of congenital heart disease (CHD) and cancer.

Vittorio’s story is not just about the medical battles he has fought but about the personal identity he has forged through his experiences. His narrative encapsulates the struggles and triumphs of living with CHD, the complex journey from pediatric to adult care, and the unexpected turns that life can take when you are a “heart kid” turned adult. The episode poignantly illustrates how digital storytelling can be an educational and empathy-building tool that transcends the traditional patient-healthcare provider dynamic.

The podcast delves into the creation of digital stories as resources that capture and convey the essence of patients’ experiences, often with lasting effects. It explores how Vittorio and others have used storytelling workshops to connect with their peers, leading to transformative realizations and deepened community bonds. This particular retreat in collaboration with Heart Beats Children’s Society of Calgary and Western Canadian Children’s Heart Network offered a unique opportunity for adults with CHD to share their life experiences, shedding light on the often overlooked adult perspective in CHD care.

During the episode, listeners are taken on a journey through the landscapes of healthcare and personal identity, uncovering the remarkable ways in which stories can influence perspectives and incite action. The conversation reveals how narrative medicine is not only a therapeutic tool for those telling their stories but also a means for listeners, including clinicians and families, to gain insight into the lived experiences of individuals with CHD.

Digital storytelling is also praised for its practicality, as it provides easily shareable content for events and awareness campaigns, engaging audiences without the need for extensive preparation. The podcast highlights Sickboy podcast host, Jeremie Saunders’ memorable recollection of Vittorio’s story that left a significant impact on him, showcasing the effectiveness of digital storytelling in healthcare.

As we listen to Vittorio recount meaningful moments from his life, we are reminded of the lifelines that storytelling can provide in the context of health and wellness. Whether it is Jacqui’s memorable visit to the Libin Heart Institute or Maddie’s evolving narrative during the storytelling retreat, the episode underscores the unexpected and powerful ways stories can resonate with us.

The episode concludes with an invitation to the audience to consider their own stories and the moments they would like to share. It encourages listeners to think about the power of storytelling in their own lives and in the healthcare landscape, highlighting the potential of digital narratives to craft connections, foster understanding, and promote healing.

The blog post above captures the essence of the podcast episode, “The Lifelines of Storytelling in Congenital Heart Disease Care,” inviting readers to listen and engage with the transformative power of storytelling in the context of congenital heart disease. With a focus on digital narratives, the episode offers a heartfelt exploration of the role stories play in connecting individuals, educating healthcare professionals, and strengthening communities affected by CHD.

Learn more about how Heart Beats used digital storytelling to increase impact here.

About Leading Through Stories

Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.

Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?

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Through Her Lens: Cameras For Girls with Amina Mohamed – Co-Created

On this episode of Co-Created we're joined by Amina Mohamed, the Founder and Executive Director of Cameras For Girls, to talk about what happens when a founder story becomes a digital story and why that format can reveal the “three-dimensional” truth you can’t always reach in a talk, a webinar, or a standard nonprofit promo.Amina takes us from her family’s refugee journey from Uganda to Canada, through years in film and television, and back to Uganda where she meets young women facing limits on education and opportunity. From that turning point, Cameras For Girls grows into a practical pathway into media careers, combining photography training, ethical storytelling, business skills, and the gift of a camera with the real goal: helping young women enter male-dominated media spaces and land fair paid jobs in places like Uganda and Tanzania.Episode Key MessagesAmina’s origin story from Uganda to Canada and back againWhy Cameras for Girls focuses on fair paid jobsTeaching photography, business skills, and ethical storytellingRejecting extractive storytelling and top-down developmentTurning a “why” into a three-minute digital storyEditing surprises and choosing images responsiblyUsing a founder video for donors, funding, and social mediaEncouraging participants to tell their own stories in their own voiceOther Links MentionedRead this episode's blog postWatch Amina's digital storyLearn more about Cameras For GirlsAbout Our GuestAmina Mohamed is the Founder and Executive Director of Cameras For Girls, a Canadian charity she launched in 2018 to address gender inequality in Africa’s male-dominated media industry. Born in Uganda, Amina came to Canada as a refugee after her family was exiled under the regime of Idi Amin. Growing up between cultures, she discovered photography as a powerful way to express herself when words failed. That early experience shaped the vision behind Cameras For Girls: creating opportunities for young women across Africa to find their voice through visual storytelling.Through a year-long training program combining photography, ethical storytelling, and business skills, Cameras For Girls equips young women with the tools, training, and mentorship needed to build sustainable careers in media. Participants receive professional cameras, hands-on instruction, and ongoing career support designed to help them enter and succeed in the workforce. To date, the organization has trained nearly 200 women through in-person programs across East Africa and has reached more than 2,000 additional participants through its Online Learning Hub. Amina is also a leading advocate for ethical storytelling, challenging outdated and colonial narratives often present in international media. Her work emphasizes dignity-centered storytelling that honours the lived experiences of the women and communities whose stories are shared. Her leadership and impact have earned international recognition. Amina has spoken at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Summit, been featured in publications including Vogue, and received the Estée Lauder Beautiful Forces Grant in recognition of her work advancing women’s leadership.Today, Amina continues to expand Cameras For Girls’ programs across Africa while advocating for gender equality, ethical media practices, and new pathways for women to build sustainable careers in storytelling and journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Through Her Lens: Cameras For Girls with Amina Mohamed 24:36
2. Double the Magic: Storytelling for Healing and Impact with Melody Williamson 31:57
3. When Science Meets Story: Lessons from a PhD Defense with Becky McCall 35:57
4. Health Promoting Experiences of Storytellers: A Meta-Synthesis 49:36
5. Isolation to Impact: DST in Cancer Care with Jackdaw Bones 25:57

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