A New Non-Profit for the LVAD Community

A new nonprofit is stepping up to support a growing but often overlooked group: people living with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs), their families, and the professionals who care for them. It’s called LVADStrong, and it’s built from the ground up to serve as a vital support system for the LVAD community.

LVADStrong is more than a name. It’s a mindset, a mission, and a rallying cry for anyone whose life has been impacted by advanced heart failure and the life-saving technology that comes with it. This nonprofit exists to educate, connect, and advocate. It’s here to make the LVAD journey more manageable, less isolating, and filled with hope.

Who LVADStrong Serves

LVADStrong was created to serve a diverse but interconnected group of people:

Patients who rely on LVADs to keep their hearts pumping are at the core of this community. They face daily challenges that extend far beyond the operating room. From learning how to shower safely, to adjusting to the physical and emotional weight of wearing a mechanical device 24/7, patients need information and support from people who understand the experience firsthand.

Caregivers play a critical role, yet their needs often get sidelined. LVADStrong provides tools and support to help spouses, partners, friends, and family members who serve as caregivers. That includes advice on emergency preparedness, routine maintenance, and emotional support for navigating the often stressful demands of caregiving.

Healthcare providers—especially nurses, physical therapists, and other front-line workers—also benefit from LVADStrong’s resources. The organization acts as a bridge between patients and providers, helping both sides better understand the real-world impacts of living with an LVAD. LVADStrong doesn’t give medical advice, but it does help educate professionals about what patients actually go through once they leave the hospital.

What LVADStrong Does

LVADStrong exists to educate and empower. That starts with resources—practical tips, patient stories, caregiver guides, and curated information tailored to people living with LVADs. These resources are designed to be clear, accessible, and genuinely helpful. They’re not buried in medical jargon or hidden behind paywalls.

Next comes community building. Through online groups, virtual meetups, and social media outreach, LVADStrong connects people who understand what this life is like. There’s power in shared experience. Knowing someone else has gone through it and come out stronger can make all the difference.

Then there’s advocacy. LVADStrong is working to raise awareness about what it means to live with an LVAD, and why these patients deserve better support across the board. That means advocating for better access to home health care, insurance coverage, and mental health resources. It also means pushing for more representation of LVAD patients in broader heart failure awareness campaigns.

Finally, LVADStrong is committed to education through outreach. The nonprofit partners with hospitals, heart centers, and transplant programs to make sure patients and caregivers are never left in the dark. Workshops, printed materials, and digital campaigns all play a role in getting the right information to the right people at the right time.

Why It Matters

Heart failure isn’t going away. The number of people receiving LVADs continues to grow, yet public understanding of what that means is almost nonexistent. Too many patients leave the hospital without knowing how to travel safely, what to do during a power outage, or how to find others going through the same thing. LVADStrong was created to change that.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all resource. It’s not a generic heart health site. It’s a grassroots, mission-driven nonprofit founded with one purpose: to meet the real needs of real people navigating life with an LVAD.

For the patient who just had surgery and doesn’t know where to turn, LVADStrong is a starting point. For the caregiver burning out under the pressure, it’s a lifeline. For the nurse who wants to give better discharge instructions, it’s a partner in education. And for the larger world? It’s a wake-up call.

LVADStrong is here. And it’s just getting started.