Meet Your Moderators: Latoya Johnson Keelen

Welcome to the Heart-Failure.net Meet Your Moderators series! These articles are intended to help our community members better know the people who moderate on our various channels. Heart failure plays a different role in each of our moderators' lives, but our community serves as a place for all to connect and share with one another.

We are beyond grateful for the work these individuals put in to help make this the dynamic and supportive community that it is. We hope you enjoy reading their responses to our questions and learning a bit more about what drives them to help!

Interview with Latoya

What role does heart failure play in your life?

While developing heart failure was a defining moment in my life because it was totally unexpected and not preventable, I refuse to let it define me. It's just another chapter in this book called life.

Why did you decide to become a moderator for Heart-Failure.net?

To let others know that they are not alone no matter where they are in their journey. We all have shared experiences at some time.

What's been your favorite part of being a moderator for Heart-Failure.net?

Meeting new people and developing a deeper understanding of advocacy

Anything else you want to share with our Heart-Failure.net community members?

Confucius said, "Every man has two lives. The second begins when he realizes he just has one." A heart failure diagnosis does not have to mean the end. Use it to begin anew to the best of your abilities!

Contribution to Heart-Failure.net

Latoya has been contributing to our community for a year now. Here are a few of the articles she has shared with us:

Nobody’s Listening to Me. Nobody’s Listening!
Health DESPAIR-ities: Black Mothers Are Dying!
PPCM Changed My Life: I Almost Died - UNNECESSARILY!
PPCM Changed My Life: I Don’t Have Heart Disease – or Do I?
Don't Just Sit There! Bust a Move!

To read all of Latoya's articles and hear about how she was diagnosed with end-stage (stage 4), post-partum cardiomyopathy with her fourth child and ended up receiving an LVAD and defibrillator, click here.

Thank you

We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank YOU, the person reading this. While we no doubt have an amazing team here at Heart-Failure.net, it's your consistent presence and engagement that keep the momentum going. Without you, there wouldn't be much to moderate and we surely wouldn't learn as much as we do. Thank you!

As always, we'd love to hear from you. What brings you to our community? What has your heart failure journey looked like? Feel free to share with us by posting on our site's stories and forums sections.