Welcome to Empowering Voices, the Heal Canada Podcast, where we bring you insightful conversations on patient advocacy, healthcare innovation, and real-world patient experiences. This episode is hosted by Hisham Younes, our Patient Engagement Consultant, and is part of Heal Canada’s Iron Deficiency Anemia Patient Advocacy Initiative, in partnership with 360 Life Sciences Consulting and supported by Pfizer Canada. We are joined by Heba Harkous, who's sharing her perspective as both a nurse and a patient with lived experience in iron deficiency anemia. Heba is talking to us about symptoms, impact on daily life, early detection, and treatment options. From her experience with iron deficiency anemia, Heba encourages patients to advocate for themselves and have the right conversations with their healthcare providers, which can make a big difference.

In this episode of Empowering Voices: Advocacy in Action, Cheryl sits down with author and advocate Jenn M. to discuss her debut book, The Truth Lies in the Mountain - a deeply personal account of surviving wrongful arrest, a decade-long court battle, and the psychological toll of high-conflict family law. Jen opens up about the mental health storms that shaped her journey, the power of laughter and nature as tools for healing, and why she believes her story can be a voice for those not yet ready to share their own. A compelling and honest conversation about resilience, psychological abuse, neurodivergence, and what it truly means to go from surviving to healing.

Landon is the founder of an organization that has quickly become a powerful voice in the patient and mental Health Community, supporting Mental Health in the Trades. His work is rooted in compassion, lived experience, and a deep commitment to ensuring that no person in the trade experiencing mental health issues feels alone, unheard, or unsupported. What began as a personal mission has evolved into a platform for connection, advocacy, and real change.