Taking a Breath: A Stop the Clot Podcast

Taking a Breath is an award-winning podcast that shines a light on real-life experiences of blood clot survivors. With input from the medical community, each episode shares information on prevention and symptom awareness, helping increase recognition among the general public and ultimately saving lives.

Taking a Breath Episodes

Episode 10

Dr. Mark Lewis, gastrointestinal oncologist and a survivor of both cancer and blood clots, discusses how his experience as a patient has informed how he cares for others with similar diagnoses.

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Episode 9

After losing his 23-year-old daughter Emily to a pulmonary embolism, Doug Adkins became determined to establish a standard of care for all blood clot patients. His advocacy resulted in the Emily Adkins Prevention Act, signed into law in Florida in 2023.

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Episode 8

Arshell Brooks-Harris, board secretary for NBCA’s Board of Directors, shares the heartbreaking story of how her 32-year-old daughter Leschel died of a pulmonary embolism after undergoing a surgical procedure.

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Episode 7

Jennifer Smith, CEO of Everything Podcasts, recalls how breaking her ankle in a Tough Mudder competition led to a blood clot in her calf, or deep vein thrombosis, as well as a diagnosis of post-thrombotic syndrome.

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Episode 6

Heide Bajnrauh, health policy strategist, describes waking up in the hospital when she was 19 to find her mother and brother at her bedside and learning that she almost didn’t make it through the night. This ordeal, as well as subsequent blood clot diagnoses over the years, resulted in Heide becoming a blood clot awareness advocate. In fact, she appears on our Times Square billboard through the end of March.

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Episode 5

ESPN+ Senior Vice President John Lasker recounts the moment he was being discharged from the hospital following treatment for a pulmonary embolism, only to be struck with a resurgence acute of chest pain. This experience, along with a diagnosis of factor V Leiden, set John on a path to advocacy. It was also a call to protect the women in his life.

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Episode 4

Traci Wilkes Smith, vice president and talent agent at CSE as well as member of NBCA’s Board of Directors, discusses her journey of suffering through symptoms, being misdiagnosed, and how her experience sparked her advocacy.

Episode 3

Mimi MacKinnon, director of events for Major League Soccer and a member of NBCA’s Board of Directors, discusses her near-fatal pulmonary embolism that doctors believe was provoked by birth control and her subsequent recovery.

Episode 2

Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden describes how blood clots affected her life and career and how she found the strength to keep pushing forward.

Episode 1

Olympic medalist Katie Hoff discusses how a pulmonary embolism ended her swimming career and how becoming an advocate has helped her heal emotionally.

Trailer

Other Ways to Listen to Taking a Breath

Spotify, Apple, Google, Pandora, EP Studios, iTunes, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Tunein, Stitcher, Breaker, Player FM, Deezer, RadioPublic, Overcast, Castro, and Castbox.

About Taking a Breath

Taking a Breath is a new limited-series podcast that shines a light on the dangers of blood clots, breathing life into NBCA’s mission of pushing these preventable killers to the forefront of public discourse. Every month, we’ll present the stories of blood clot survivors like Olympic medalists Katie Hoff and Tatyana McFadden as well as insights from medical professionals. Join us as we collectively stop the clot.

Your Hosts

Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us at info@stoptheclot.org.