British expats in Spain launch free five-day Heart Failure Challenge to turn fear into strength

Couple who survived a near-fatal diagnosis launches free program to help the newly diagnosed, people living with heart failure, and their carers. Gareth and Katrina Robinson know exactly how it feels when a heart failure diagnosis lands like a bombshell. Three years ago, Gareth’s sudden tiredness, nosebleeds, dizziness and night-time leg cramps were dismissed as stress. Katrina sensed otherwise and pushed him to get checked out in hospital. Doctors later confirmed he was roughly 20 minutes from a stroke, with his heart pumping at just 15 per cent ejection fraction. “I was basically drowning in my own blood,” Gareth said.

Today, the British couple behind the growing Heart Failure – From Diagnosis to Strength Facebook community are launching a free Five-Day Heart Failure Challenge for people newly diagnosed, living with heart failure, or supporting someone who is.

But this is more than two people sharing their story. Gareth brings the lived experience of surviving severe heart failure and rebuilding his life. Katrina is a qualified holistic practitioner, with professional experience helping people manage anxiety, fear, stress and the emotional impact of difficult life experiences. Together, they combine lived experience with practical and emotional support to help people navigate the frightening early stages of a diagnosis.

The five-day challenge is designed to help participants understand what they are facing, work through fear and overwhelm, build confidence and discover practical ways to start moving forward, while complementing, rather than replacing, professional medical care.

Turning isolation into connection for expats and others

Many people with heart failure, especially British expats living far from family, can suddenly find themselves isolated. Fatigue, medication routines, breathlessness and the loss of the social identity they once had can lead to withdrawal. For carers, life can change overnight too, as they suddenly become researchers, advocates and emotional anchors for someone they love.

Katrina remembers sitting at Gareth’s hospital bedside searching medical journals while fighting her own fear. Early online searches filled her with frightening statistics about life expectancy. Their message now is different: don’t let fear write the rest of your story. The challenge focuses on what people can understand, influence and work on today — rather than becoming trapped in worst-case scenarios.

The three pillars: Clarity, Capability and Community

The programme rests on three simple pillars. Clarity helps people understand what heart failure actually means, challenge frightening misconceptions and begin processing the diagnosis without feeling completely overwhelmed. Capability focuses on rebuilding confidence in everyday life, physically, mentally and emotionally, encouraging participants to understand their own limitations, recognise what they can control and work alongside their healthcare professionals as they rebuild strength and independence. Community tackles one of the biggest problems after diagnosis: feeling alone. Patients and carers can connect with people who genuinely understand the fear, frustration and uncertainty that can follow a heart failure diagnosis.

Day one digs into individual fears and frustrations so the rest of the challenge can be shaped around what participants actually need. The following days introduce practical tools for managing the emotional impact of diagnosis, developing healthier routines, building confidence and staying connected. The emphasis is simple: you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

Who can join and how to get involved

Anyone facing a heart failure diagnosis, living with heart failure, or supporting someone who is can take part. Expats in Spain dealing with distance from family and established support networks, people still processing a new diagnosis, and carers feeling overwhelmed are particularly welcome. All sessions take place online.

Demand is already building through the couple’s Facebook community, Heart Failure – From Diagnosis to Strength. Gareth and Katrina’s own journey, from a hospital bed and a 15 per cent ejection fraction to rebuilding Gareth’s fitness, changing their lifestyle and creating a new approach to living with heart failure has given them a powerful message of hope.

“A diagnosis is not the end of the book; it’s the start of a new chapter,” they say. Their goal is straightforward: no one should have to face the fear, confusion and uncertainty of heart failure alone.

For reliable medical information, people should continue to work with their cardiologist, heart failure team and cardiac rehabilitation service. The British Heart Foundation also provides extensive information and support for people living with heart failure and their families.

To join the waiting list for the free Five-Day Heart Failure Challenge, join the Heart Failure – From Diagnosis to Strength Facebook community and register interest as the launch approaches.

This is more than a challenge. It is a hand held out by two people who have walked the path — one who survived it, one who stood beside him, and both determined to help others find their way through it.