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Dawn Levitt, Author

@2heartcore4u.bsky.social
544 followers 657 following 208 posts

Writer, poet, 2-time heart transplant recipient. Follow me on Substack. dawnlevitt.substack.com

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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Check out @rogueagent.bsky.social Issue 139. I have a poem in here along with several other fantastic writers! Read and share today. #chronicillness #disability #booksky #poetry #writingcommunity
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I’m sharing my deeply personal struggle with the desire to end my life in hopes that it will help someone decide to stay. #mentalhealth #suicideprevention Darkest before the Dawn dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/darkest-be...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Darkest before the Dawn
A Mental Health Post
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
An inside look at complex chronic illness and the efforts at managing multiple doctors. #chronicillness #disability #transplant Marching to the Drumbeat of the Energizer Bunny dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/marching-t...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Marching to the Drumbeat of the Energizer Bunny
A Heart Transplant Post
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Have you discovered Odd Pocket Press yet? It’s a quirky little poetry mag, and I have something in this issue. This poem is from my upcoming chapbook about caring for my father during hospice. Check it out! #poetry The Truth the Dead Will Never Know oddpocketpress.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
oddpocketpress.substack.com
The Truth the Dead Will Never Know
Dawn Levitt
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
We all remember where we were when the towers fell. Where were you on September 11, 2001? dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/where-were...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of one of the worst national disasters since Pearl Harbor, Americans gather to remember those lost on that day.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today I reviewed books by three poets you need to meet. Check out the reviews and pick a new title for your TBR stack! #booksky #writingcommunity #poetry #theodyssey Sealey Challenge Poetry Book Review #2 dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/sealey-cha...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Sealey Challenge Poetry Book Review #2
A Poetry Post
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Should good teeth be limited only to the privileged few? Thoughts on why dental insurance isn’t included in medical insurance and why it doesn’t cover much even if you have it. #healthcare #chronicillness #disability #poverty A Tooth Fairy Tale dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/a-tooth-fa...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
A Tooth Fairy Tale
Dental Health in America
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
A Chronic Voice @achronicvoice.com · 29/08/2026
"1 of the key ideas in the #book is that the state uses #marriage as a tool to abandon #DisabledPeople. It is a tool where we have this myth-making around what #love can do..which absolves the state.": buff.ly/QVmK6eb via @MotherJones.com #disability #society #healthcare #disabled #caregiving
motherjones.com
The political world of caregiving
Writer and scholar Laura Mauldin's new book takes on the hidden politics of spousal care.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
One year ago, I was hospitalized with food poisoning. At the time, I predicted an increase in food-borne illnesses due to the lack of oversight and regulation. #chronicillness #immunocompromised #foodsafety The Chicken That Sent Me to the ER - with updates dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/the-chicke...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
The Chicken That Sent Me to the ER - with updates
A firsthand account of foodborne illness and the alarming gaps in public health tracking
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Very important update for immunocompromised people going into this winter season. Please read and stay healthy! #chronicillness #disability #transplant IC guide to seasonal vaccinations www.forceofinfection.com/ic-guide-to-...
forceofinfection.com
IC guide to seasonal vaccinations
A guide to seasonal vaccines for people who are immunocompromised.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Three excellent poetry books I read this month as part of the Sealey Challenge. #booksky #poetry #sealeychallenge Sealey Challenge Poetry Book Review #1 dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/sealey-cha...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Sealey Challenge Poetry Book Review #1
A Poetry Post
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
I’ve had this heart for 8 years, and I haven’t gone to Paris or grown up yet. #chronicillness #disability #transplant Maturity is Overrated dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/maturity-i...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Maturity is Overrated
Let me be a little girl again
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
We’re coming up quick on the 8-year anniversary of my heart transplant! #chronicillness #disability #transplant Eight-year Checkup Time dawnlevitt.substack.com/p/eight-year...
dawnlevitt.substack.com
Eight-year Checkup Time
I can’t believe that I’m already approaching the 8-year Anniversary of my heart transplant.
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
Pulse--voices from the heart of medicine @pulsevoices.org · 29/07/2026
"Among the Nobodies" by Matthew Ryan pulsevoices.org/stories/amon... An emergency-medicine physician shares his experiences working with those often ignored by society... #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #homelessness Subscribe to Pulse for more stories that share the heart of medicine!
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
A Chronic Voice @achronicvoice.com · 28/07/2026
"My #dogs have taught me about the “Holy Instant.” Nothing exists except right now..Roll in it! Inhale it! Fill yr pockets with it so u can pull it out later, when #sorrow returns & use it like a tissue to blot away yr tears.": buff.ly/VGLZ05m by @2heartcore4u.bsky.social #ChronicPain #moments
buff.ly
The Joy is in the Journey
Illness changes you.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
I’m closing out Disability Pride Month with some words from Woolf about illness and how it has been excluded from discussion as if it did not exist. #chronicillness #disability #disabilitypride Woolf, On Being Ill open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Woolf, On Being Ill
A Disability Pride Post
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The government can enact work requirements, but that doesn’t mean employers are willing to hire the handicapped. #disability #chronicillness #disabilitypride Maintaining Employment while Disabled - a Personal Perspective open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Maintaining Employment while Disabled - a Personal Perspective
If You’re Too Sick to Work, Are You Too Sick to Survive?
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓮𝔂 𝓣𝓸𝓹𝓪𝔃 @fireytopaz.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
😷
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Air Quality is a Disability Issue. Poor Air quality affects everyone, but the impact is much worse for people with underlying health conditions. Are you ready for the hot, smoky summer ahead? #Disability #ChronicIllness When the Environment Becomes Hostile open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
When the Environment Becomes Hostile
Large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast are covered by smoke from Canadian wildfires this week. For a brief period of time, Detroit had the worst air quality on planet Earth.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
This long-awaited anthology of protest poetry is now available, just in time for Disability Pride Month! #Disability #Chronicillness #Poetry #protest "Anger Is A Gift" Anthology is Now Available! open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
"Anger Is A Gift" Anthology is Now Available!
Dear Readers,
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
It’s difficult to celebrate Independence Day as a disabled person when you will forever be dependent on others for survival. #Disability #chronicillness #transplantlife #healthcare Disability Independence and Pride open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Disability Independence and Pride
Hello, and welcome to the second Saturday in July.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
This should be receiving wider attention as the lack of electrical supply will impact all of us in the future. There will be a time when electricity is simply not available for our needs at any price if capacity is not planned today.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Closing out the month with one final Gidget Memory during my second heart transplant. The Afterparty in My Head #chronicillness #disability #mentalhealth #PTSD #hearttransplant #transplant #ICUdelerium open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
The Afterparty in My Head
A (somewhat) Gidget McFidget Story
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
How Gidget McFidget played a role in the night I received the call for my heart transplant. A Fateful Phone Call open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
A Fateful Phone Call
A Gidget McFidget Story
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
HAD @havehashad.com · 16/06/2026
"Sexual Orientation • Heterosexual • Homosexual • Okay, so it’s 1999 and The Mummy is in theaters and everyone is falling in love with men and women and eyeliner as thick as the lid of a sarcophagus..." today from Frances Klein! www.havehashad.com/lk1uf
June 16, 2026
Demographics
Frances Klein
Sexual Orientation (select one)

Heterosexual
Homosexual
Okay, so it’s 1999 and The Mummy is in theaters and everyone is falling in love with men and women and eyeliner as thick as the lid of a sarcophagus and all the teens are doodling on their notebooks in loopy cursive, Mr. Rachel Weisz’s Belted Tanktop, and Mrs. Brendan Fraser’s Center-Part Bangs, and Arnold Vosloo’s Shaved Head and the small towns of America aren’t so small when you sit in the dark with desert stretching past the horizon, and we all see the movie every weekend, tickets are cheap if you smuggle in your own snacks, cargo pants pockets stuffed with Skittles, and the ticket taker doesn’t notice because he’s making eyes at the cardboard cutout of Brendan, we all are, we all want to be all four lips and two tongues inside the big kiss at the end, want to be every locust buzzing out of Imhotep’s unhinged jaws, we have no words for what we feel, know only that something inside us h
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
A Chronic Voice @achronicvoice.com · 07/06/2026
"When I write about my own #health, I don’t do it out of vanity. I write to share my #perspective on living with a #ChronicIllness & hopefully help other people who might be living with similar #struggles.": buff.ly/2MMse7j by @2heartcore4u.bsky.social #NotAlone #StrongerTogether #community
buff.ly
The Joy is in the Journey
Illness changes you.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
A brief anecdote of Gidget McFidget protecting her Mama in the big city. #dogsky #GidgetMcFidget Gidget the Guard Dog open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Gidget the Guard Dog
A Gidget McFidget Story
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
The story of the move to Nashville for my second heart transplant and how Gidget McFidget became the key ingredient. #hearttransplant #booksky #dogsky Moving to Nashville open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Moving to Nashville
A Gidget McFidget Story
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A snapshot of life with Gidget McFidget, and a reminder that I always needed to be on my toes with her because things can go sideways when you least expect it. #dogsky Unexpected Exposure open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Unexpected Exposure
A Gidget McFidget Story
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Gidget McFidget’s origin story - how we saved each other’s lives. "The Best Little Doggie in the Whole Wide World." #dogsky One Dog, Two Hearts open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
One Dog, Two Hearts
The Origin Story of Gidget McFidget
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Mother’s Day isn’t always about flowers and brunch. Sometimes it’s memories and regret. Can Mother’s Day Be A Day of Healing? open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Can Mother’s Day Be A Day of Healing?
This weekend is Mother’s Day in the United States.
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
Perugia Press @perugiapress.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Gratitude to the folks at Sundress Publications for highlighting poems from Holli Carrell’s APOSTASIES in the “Wardrobe’s Best Dressed.” Particular thanks to Guest Editor t.r. san for these selections. Check out the great work Sundress is doing at @sundresspub.bsky.social @hollicarrell.bsky.social
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
In this memoir excerpt, I share Kentucky Derby memories from when I was a girl on the threshold of becoming a woman. #booksky Kentucky Derby Memories open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Kentucky Derby Memories
This first Saturday in May is the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Take a moment to check out the books I’ve reviewed this month and pick one to read. I’ve served up the spirit of each book so you can know what to expect with each title. #booksky #writingcommunity #poetry National Poetry Month Book Review #5 open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
National Poetry Month Book Review #5
Today is Wednesday, April 29th, and this is my fifth and final poetry review for the month of April.
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
Wildlife @worldwildlife.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus): With a range across temperate Europe & Asia, this bird is a wetland specialist. It nests in colonies, normally near swamps, reed beds or marshes. Brilliant photo taken by Paul Nicholls on the Somerset levels in the UK. #tit #bird #beardedreedling #beardedtit
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
This month fills me with gratitude for two people who I’ve never met and never will. #organdonation #giftoflife #chronicillness #disability Grit, Grace, and Gratitude open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Grit, Grace, and Gratitude
Gives light to every day
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
When you can’t stand to look at the news, take a break and slip into something more comfortable like a book of poetry. See the world through a different set of eyes and come away refreshed. #booksky #poetry #writingcommunity National Poetry Month Book Review #4 open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
National Poetry Month Book Review #4
Today is Wednesday, April 22nd, and this is the fourth post in this series of poetry book reviews.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
I'm excited to announce that my poem "Prescription for Survival" appears in the latest issue of @flarelitmag.bsky.social #booksky #writingcommunity #poetry #chronicillness #disability flare-magazine.com/special-mini...
flare-magazine.com
Special Mini Issue 3: Medication
Editor’s Note Dear Reader, Thank you for stopping by and supporting FLARE just by being here and reading! I probably say this every issue, but seriously, I was blown away by the quality of su…
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Check out this latest review of three spectacular books of poetry! #Booksky #writingcommunity National Poetry Month Book Review #3 open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
National Poetry Month Book Review #3
Today is Wednesday, April 15th, and this is the third post in this series of poetry book reviews.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
When the real world feels impossibly heavy, escape into another world and find a few moments of peace inside a book of poetry. #booksky #poetry National Poetry Month Book Review #2 open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
National Poetry Month Book Review #2
Today is Wednesday, April 8th, and this is the second post in this series of poetry book reviews.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
It’s the little things that matter in this thing called Life. Don’t let them slip away. Without the generosity of an organ donor, I wouldn’t be here to enjoy the little things. #organdonation #donatelife Hope & Healing & Saved by a Stranger open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Hope & Healing & Saved by a Stranger
(This is an updated version of the same post from April 2025)
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Every Wednesday in April, I will be sharing reviews of books of poetry. I hope this spurs your interest and some of you will order a few of these marvelous books. #writingcommunity Kickoff to National Poetry Month open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Kickoff to National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I am once again celebrating with reviews of some poetry books currently available.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
A step-by-step guide for chronic illness patients on preparation to optimize the time spent at doctor appointments. #disability #chronicillnesss One Easy Trick to Improve the Quality of Your Healthcare open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
One Easy Trick to Improve the Quality of Your Healthcare
Here’s something most people don’t know about living with a disability.
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
A Chronic Voice @achronicvoice.com · 13/03/2026
“ #Illness changes you. No one goes through an acute or #ChronicIllness & emerges as the same person who entered. It turns out that going thru Hell is a shortcut to changing your life – for better or worse.": buff.ly/onlwAFQ by @2heartcore4u.bsky.social #LifeJourney #spoonie
buff.ly
The Joy is in the Journey
Illness changes you.
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Reposted by Dawn Levitt, Author
Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
ICE must not be allowed in Toronto. They’ve kidnapped Canadians. They’re currently holding a 7 year old autistic Canadian girl in one of the camps. Boycott all World Cup games happening in the US, and demand ICE stay out of Canada.
thestar.com
Olivia Chow wants to ban ICE agents during FIFA World Cup in Toronto
Canada is expected to draw one million visitors including athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Is chronic pain hereditary? An epigenetic inheritance following mitochondrial DNA? Can suffering follow a bloodline? #chronicillness #chronicpain #disability A Legacy of Female Pain open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
A Legacy of Female Pain
Can pain be an inherited trait?
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
If a woman is in pain, and nobody believes her - If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear - #chronicillness #chronicpain #disability When Women Are Hurting, Who Heals? open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
When Women Are Hurting, Who Heals?
CW: Drug use
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Reflections on why representation matters on International Women’s Day #feminism International Women's Day - My Role Models open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
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International Women's Day - My Role Models
March 8th International Women’s Day
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
An overview of my life with Congenital Heart Disease which led to two heart transplants, shared with a fellow HCM Warrior. #chronicillness #disability Organ Donors Save Lives open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Organ Donors Save Lives
Today is the last day of February, which means it is the last day of Heart Month.
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Dawn Levitt, Author @2heartcore4u.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
What do you know about your own heart health? February 25 is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day. Join me in learning about the congenital heart disease that changed, and nearly ended, my life. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevi...
open.substack.com
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day
February 25, 2026, is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day.
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