When Marc Bains was just 23, life dealt him a card no one his age expects—a diagnosis that would change the course of his future. Instead of retreating, he decided to lead.
As the co-founder of HeartLife Foundation, Canada’s first patient-led heart failure organization, Marc has built a nationwide platform where patients and caregivers can connect, advocate, and influence policy.
HeartLife isn’t just about awareness; it’s about action, pushing for earlier diagnosis, better treatment access, and empowering people to live full, meaningful lives with heart failure.
For South Asians, a community statistically more vulnerable to heart disease, Marc’s story is more than inspiration; it’s a wake-up call. He speaks with the clarity of someone who’s walked the tightrope between culture and care, between tradition and transformation.
From Diagnosis to Determination
Marc recalls the day his life changed. “I was diagnosed with heart failure at the age of 23. It stopped everything in its tracks. I had recently graduated, travelled, and started my career. I went from being active and independent to facing a condition I had never even thought about.”
For a decade, he lived with heart failure before receiving a life-saving transplant in 2018. “I am deeply grateful to my organ donor and their family. More people need to become organ donors because it is the gift of life.”
Feeling isolated early on, his care team connected him with others living with the disease. “Seeing others live full lives showed me that a diagnosis is not the end.” That realization inspired him to join Cardiac Services BC as a patient partner and eventually co-found HeartLife with Dr. Jillianne Code in 2016.
Breaking the Silence in South Asian Homes
Like many raised in South Asian households, Marc found health wasn’t openly discussed. “We didn’t talk much about what it meant to live well. The focus was often on enjoying food and tradition, not on nutritional value or heart health.”
That silence, he says, must be broken. “In South Asian communities, chronic conditions are often hidden out of fear or pride. The shift starts with people sharing their experiences, creating a culture where health is openly addressed.”
Building a Movement
For Marc, HeartLife’s impact is measured not just in policies influenced but in lives touched. “The most rewarding moments come from the people we serve. HeartLife has distributed resources across the country and internationally. We have supported legislation like Bill S-204 in the Senate and built an education platform for patients and caregivers. But when someone tells me they finally feel understood or supported because they found us, that is what makes all the work worth it.” Recognizing the importance of accessibility, he has recently translated its key resources into Punjabi and Hindi to reach more communities.
A Call to South Asians
Marc’s advice is simple: “Commit to being one percent better each day. Add a short walk, replace a sugary drink with water, or make time for rest. Small improvements build momentum.” To young South Asians, he says: “Life won’t always go the way you expect, but you can control your effort, your mindset, and how you show up every day. Purpose is built in the choices you make.”
Marc’s story is one of survival, but more importantly, of transformation. Through HeartLife, he has built not just an organization, but a movement, one that reminds us that heart health isn’t simply a medical matter, but a cultural, communal, and deeply personal responsibility
