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The Keep Smiling PodcastAuthor: Lara Rebecca
Keep Smiling is hosted by Lara Rebecca. With a focus on wellbeing, mindset, and growth, this podcast features honest and authentic discussions with inspirational guests, with an aim to destigmatise the conversation circulating mental health, raise awareness, and provide hope to listeners. Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Mental Health Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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#117 A Second Chance at Life: My Heart Transplant Journey | Rhys Thomas
Monday, 29 June, 2026
Three years ago, I sat down with Rhys to hear his remarkable story of surviving multiple near-fatal heart attacks, living with a battery-powered left ventricular assist device (LVAD), navigating the profound loss of identity that followed, and ultimately rebuilding his life through unimaginable adversity. Today, Rhys returns to the podcast to share the next chapter of that journey. After spending almost a decade on the UK transplant list as his health continued to decline, Rhys made the decision to move back to his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, in the hope of receiving a viable donor heart. What followed were months of immense uncertainty, living with the knowledge that time was running out. In this conversation, he reflects on the emotional weight of waiting, the mindset it took to hold onto hope when the future felt increasingly uncertain, and the peace he found in accepting the possibility of death. Then everything changed. Just 18 months after moving, Rhys received the call that would save his life. In a remarkable turn of events, he was offered three donor hearts in a single day, and following a successful transplant, doctors told him that without it, he may have had only two weeks left to live. Rhys shares the emotions surrounding that life-changing moment, the experience of undergoing a heart transplant, and the overwhelming gratitude he now feels for the second chance he has been given. Above all, this conversation is about hope, gratitude, and new beginnings. Rhys speaks openly about the freedom he now feels, the joy of being able to plan for a future that once seemed impossible, and how this transplant isn't the end of his story - it marks the beginning of a brand-new chapter. Previous Episode (82)https://open.spotify.com/episode/0cFHgRiiNbW9CXK9pKcrdrRhys@therealrhysthomas
