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One month you are walking four to six kilometres a day with no breathlessness. The next, you are in hospital hearing the words “end-stage congestive heart failure” and being told the only way forward is an emergency heart transplant. That whiplash is at the centre of our conversation with Dr. Lawrence R Levy, a PhD psychotherapist who has lived through both severe physical illness and the long shadow of mental health stigma.

We talk through the timeline from the first “it must be food poisoning” symptoms to an ambulance ride, a transfer to Toronto General Hospital, and the brutal clarity of a heart functioning at just over 10%. Lawrence shares what it is like to stay lucid when the body is failing, how spirituality and meaning-making can show up in crisis, and the surreal moment of being placed at the top of the transplant waiting list for barely a day before surgery. We also unpack the genetics, including a titin (TTN) gene mutation, and what it means to learn your heart failure is largely inherited.

Recovery is not just medical. We explore the breathing-tube wake-up, the gratitude that follows, the impact on family relationships, and the lifelong aftercare that comes with transplantation, from immunosuppressant medication to the reality of a denervated heart. The conversation then widens into mental health: Lawrence reflects on living with bipolar I disorder for decades, why he hid his diagnosis while working in the helping professions, and how this near-death experience pushes him towards advocacy, speaking, and psychoeducation.

If this story moves you, follow the show, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find it. What part of Lawrence’s journey changed the way you think about survival and identity?

Music, lyrics, guitar and singing by Dr Ariel Rosita King

Teach me to live one day at a time
with courage love and a sense of pride.
Giving me the ability to love and accept myself
so I can go and give it to someone else.
Teach me to live one day at a time.....

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The Business of Life
Dr Ariella (Ariel) Rosita King
Original Song, "Teach Me to Live one Day At A Time"
written, guitar and vocals by Dr. Ariel Rosita King

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