Writing on heart disease, hope, and home.
A decade of Bouba’s published essays, features, and patient writing, across digital health publications, broadcast partners, and the communities he serves. Every piece is hosted at its original outlet; links open in a new tab.
Twelve essays for Heart-Failure.net.
From 2019 to 2021, Bouba wrote a twelve-part series for Health Union’s Heart-Failure.net, one of the largest US patient health networks. The series covers the full arc of living with advanced heart disease: support systems, relationships, parenting, panic, mindfulness, community, and medical care teams.
Read the series →Heart-Failure.net · 2015–2021
Patient Advocate and Contributing Writer
Selected writing and patient features.
Pieces by Bouba and in-depth patient features across the last decade.
- Tenaya TherapeuticsPatient story
Patient Story: Bouba
One of the most intimate written portraits of Bouba in existence. Told through the texture of a meal at home, the smell of West African food, the sounds of his sons.
Read feature ↗ - WebMDFeature
Living With Heart Disease: Finding Meaning, Purpose, and Clarity
Written by Bouba in his own words. His diagnosis, his LVAD, his transplant, and the mental and emotional dimensions of living with advanced heart disease.
Read essay ↗ - American Heart AssociationSeptember 2019
Two Boston Heart Patients Bond Over Shared Struggle
Bouba and Julius Johnson, 17, connected at the Boston Heart Walk over their shared experience living with the HeartMate 3 LVAD.
Read feature ↗ - American Heart AssociationSeptember 2018
Thousands Walk for Heart Health in Boston
Bouba led his Heart of a Giant team at the Boston Heart Walk at the Hatch Shell while living with his LVAD.
Read feature ↗ - Abbott Newsroom2018
What Does Heart Failure Look Like?
Abbott's flagship patient story for the HeartMate 3 LVAD program. The piece made the case that heart failure has no look, a towering, athletic 32-year-old living with a heart pump.
Read feature ↗ - Abbott. HeartMate Stories2018
Patient Story: Bouba
Bouba's personal story on the Abbott HeartMate LVAD patient stories page, living with the device, maintaining energy, time with his children, and waiting for a transplant.
Read feature ↗ - The Afro OptimistNovember 2016
Meet Bouba Diemé: An Inspirational Social Entrepreneur
Pan-African profile of Bouba as a social entrepreneur, his work with Yeelen and his vision for Africa's development. One of the earliest English-language profiles.
Read feature ↗ - Voice of America / YALIAugust 2016
Profile: Boubacar Diemé, Mandela Washington Fellow
VOA featured Bouba as part of its coverage of the Young African Leaders Initiative, engineer, co-founder of Yeelen, emerging African leader, before his diagnosis redirected everything.
Read feature ↗ - UC Davis Global Affairs2016
Mandela Washington Fellow: Boubacar Diemé
UC Davis profiled Bouba as part of its inaugural Mandela Washington Fellowship cohort, his engineering background, Yeelen, and his vision for Africa's energy future.
Read feature ↗
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