Tanya Hall from Hearts4heart: The Power of the Patient Voice

From The Heart: The HeartKids Podcast

From The Heart: The HeartKids Podcast
Tanya Hall from Hearts4heart: The Power of the Patient Voice
Nov 07, 2025 Season 4 Episode 18
HeartKids

Tanya Hall, CEO and founder of Hearts4heart and member of the World Heart Federation Board, joins us to share how lived experience can reshape care, policy and community. Diagnosed in infancy and navigating a complex journey that includes open heart surgery, arrhythmias, ablations and a pacemaker, Tanya describes the isolation that led her to start Hearts4heart in 2011 and how it has grown into a national organisation supporting, educating and empowering adults with heart conditions.

We discuss the moment her story shifted a decade of stalled advocacy in Parliament, why patient voices must be equal stakeholders in health decisions, and how collaboration across clinicians, government and community drives real change. Tanya also reflects on equity challenges across Australia and globally, the rise of patient led advocacy, and her hope for a future where no one feels alone on their heart health journey.

HEARTKIDS

From The Heart is brought to you by HeartKids, the only national not-for-profit solely focused on supporting and advocating for people affected by childhood-onset heart disease.

For support, information or guidance on your CoHD journey, call the HeartKids Helpline on 1800 432 785 or visit the website at https://www.heartkids.org.au

COPYRIGHT

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CREDITS
Host: Sami Glastonbury
Guest: Tanya Hall
Producer: Becky Oakley


Episode Artwork Tanya Hall from Hearts4heart: The Power of the Patient Voice 40:33 Episode Artwork Shaping Better Care Through Education with Mark Edmonds 37:04 Episode Artwork Supporting Heart Families in WA and Beyond with Natasha D'Souza 33:33 Episode Artwork CHD, RHD and Cultural Identity with Heart Mum Maria Tass 24:52 Episode Artwork Fontan Surgery, ANZFAC and Lived Experience with Jonathan Mackley 1:04:50 Episode Artwork Hugo and Louise Taheny: Sport, Advocacy and Life with CHD and Down Syndrome 47:08 Episode Artwork Inside Paediatric Heart Surgery with Dr Stephanie Perrier 41:10 Episode Artwork Feeding and Speech Development with Speech Therapist Emily Hayes 35:47 Episode Artwork 23 Surgeries Before 23 with Annabel Turner 31:28 Episode Artwork Sexual Health and Wellbeing with Sexologist Stacey Micallef 54:19 Episode Artwork Medical Trauma with clinical psychologist Carlye Crank 35:50 Episode Artwork RHD and Better Community Care with Tanika Parker and Genavie Tabuai 34:21 Episode Artwork Mitch McGovern: An Ambassador in Honour of his Friend's Memory 24:47 Episode Artwork Acknowledging and Supporting the Sibling Journey - Dr Shannon Schedlich of Siblings Australia 36:14 Episode Artwork Curtis McGrath: Paralympian, Soldier, Order of Australia Recipient, and Heart Dad 38:42 Episode Artwork Managing my Complex CHD... Mahan Ahmadiram's Story 34:38 Episode Artwork A Grandparent's Care... Cindy Hutchison's Story 34:23 Episode Artwork Supporting the Sibling... Chloe Peck's Heart Sibling Journey. 27:34 Episode Artwork From the Heart: 2024 Wrapped. Erin Ferguson and Happy Heart Clinic 37:38 Episode Artwork From the Heart: 2024 Wrapped. Danielle Green's Story 50:51 Episode Artwork From the Heart: 2024 Wrapped. Amber Adamson: Ask a Nurse Anything! 38:31 Episode Artwork From the Heart: 2024 Wrapped. Kate Strickland's Story 35:52 Episode Artwork From the Heart: 2024 Wrapped. Elijah Hill's Story 30:38 Episode Artwork Navigating a New Diagnosis Pathway, for Heart Kid # 2... Sami Glastonbury's Life Updates 30:45 Episode Artwork Supporting a Heart Kid, to a Heart Teen... Amy Heafield's Story 30:35