How it all began.
Misha Panesar
President and Founder, HeartWise Foundation
HeartWise began with someone I love. A close family member of mine was born with bicuspid aortic valve disease, but no one knew it at the time. The doctors did not catch it when they were a baby, and for years we assumed everything was fine. When they were fifteen, they started feeling unwell and went in for what we thought was a routine checkup. That is when a doctor heard a heart murmur and sent us straight to BC Children's Hospital.
There, we learned what bicuspid aortic valve disease really means. The aortic valve is supposed to have three flaps that open and close with each heartbeat, but theirs had only two. Over time this can make the valve stiff or leaky, forcing the heart to work much harder and often leading to serious complications or the need for surgery. Hearing this for the first time was terrifying. Overnight, our lives changed. Our family and friends had to learn new medical terms, adapt to new precautions, and live with a constant, quiet fear in the background. Every fever, every sports game, every appointment felt heavier because we now understood what was at risk.
Years later, I met up with some high school friends I had graduated with. During our catch up, one of them shared that they also have the same heart condition. It felt like a punch to the gut and a clear sign at the same time. This was not just a rare story in my family. It was something affecting people my age, right in my own community. That moment is what truly pushed me to create HeartWise. I did not want more families to be blindsided like we were. I wanted young people, parents, teachers, and doctors to recognize the signs, to talk about heart health openly, and to make sure no one feels alone when they hear those life changing words. HeartWise is my way of turning fear into action and worry into awareness, so that every heartbeat gets the care and attention it deserves.
