Dan Giancola, patient in Niagara Health’s cardiology department has become an advocate for cardiovascular disease awareness.
Dan Giancola, a former Canadian Football League (CFL) player, isn’t one to shy away from talking about his healthcare journey.
“I'm an emotional person,” says Giancola.
Five years after suffering a heart attack, Giancola has become an advocate for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease and the toll it takes on both physical and mental health.
In 2023, he created the Be that One to Give the Boot to Cardiovascular Disease Gala to support Niagara Health’s cardiology department by raising funds to purchase a new echocardiogram machine – the same kind of machine that helped detect his heart attack in 2020.
The event has since evolved into the Healthy Hearts Gala, which was held on May 2, with Dr. Adnan Hameed, head of service for cardiology, joining forces with Giancola. The funds will be used for a point of care echocardiogram machine that assists decision making at the bedside in real time for patients.
A personal journey of physical and emotional recovery
Giancola has been a patient of Niagara Health’s cardiology department since his heart issues began in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic he had a heart attack and, two years later, a major stroke. He now regularly visits the Marotta Family Hospital for testing and follow-up care.
Even routine tests can be anxiety inducing for Giancola. Echocardiograms, in particular, bring back vivid memories of the day of his heart attack.
“I remember thinking if that beating sound stops, I am done,” he says. “I started crying after that realization, and the nurse grabbed my hand and said, ‘it’s going to be okay’. Her doing that made all the difference.”
Despite the difficult moments, Giancola says he now looks forward to his hospital visits because of the deep connections he’s formed with Niagara Health team members.
“They are caring, loving and always go above and beyond – that helps make me feel better,” he says. “They get to know you and they care about you. You’re not just a number or another patient to them. That helps immensely with my mental health.”
Dan Giancola undergoing an echocardiogram test at the Marotta Family Hospital cardiology department.
Changing perspective and finding purpose
Giancola recalls the unbearable physical pain of his heart attack, but says the emotional aftermath was even harder.
“I laid on my studio floor and cried, paralyzed from the fear of it happening again,” he says. “It really alters the way you think and how you view life.”
He now speaks openly about mental health impacts of cardiovascular disease and encourages other to seek help. “Reach out. There are professionals and people who care about you. There’s no shame in asking for help.”
A mission with heart
“The Healthy Hearts Gala means everything to me because the doctors aren’t in it for themselves. They're in it for the good of this hospital and the patients in their care,” says Giancola. “They're trying to buy life-saving equipment so this gala means a lot to me for many reasons.”
“The gala significantly impacts the cardiology department. The funds raised allow us to purchase new equipment that is necessary to providing quality care here in Niagara,” says Dr. Hameed.
The second Healthy Hearts Gala was held on May 2, 2025.
This year’s Healthy Hearts Gala, held May 2, was a great success, raising $23,690 to support the life-saving care in Niagara Health’s cardiology department and to continuing to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease.
For a long time, Giancola didn’t understand why this all happened to him. Now, he believes it was to become a passionate advocate for cardiovascular disease awareness through the power of his own story. “It can happen to anyone – even a professional athlete,” he says. “That’s why I kept speaking up. If my story helps even one person get checked or ask for help, then it’s all worth it.”
