6 feet 8

It’s hard to miss the sight of 6-foot-8 Bouba Dieme weaving between the tables at the East Boston Senior Center. His Heart of a Giant Foundation has been providing health care testing and heart health information at the facility for more than two years. Meanwhile, members’ blood pressure readings have been declining.

“It means so much to be able to help other people,” he told the group of women before asking them if they were eating well and exercising. “What I’ve noticed going into the community is that there are people who are more curious about their health. They start with blood pressure, but then after the conversation they start asking nurses more questions.”

One of the nurses, Patricia Nunn, is in another room greeting a woman who comes in for a routine blood pressure check. Patricia explains the process and reminds women that drinking coffee before the test can affect the results. “The earlier you intervene, the better the outcome. So screening is so important,” Patricia explained, adding that heart disease remains the No. 1 killer in the United States.

Working with Heart of a Giant fulfills her need to provide care to people in underserved communities. “Access is not equal across the board and health care is not equal,” she said, reflecting on her years of nursing experience.

That inequality, and Bouba’s own journey as a chronically ill person, inspired him to create Heart of a Giant. It’s been almost four years since my transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Obviously, he is still grateful for the factors that influenced his success, such as access to good medical care, resources (including mental health care), information, and support from family and friends.

He vividly remembers the shock of learning he had heart disease as a young child. At the age of 25, Booba suffered from flu-like symptoms and chest pain. He was otherwise active, healthy, and lived a full life. He met his future wife, Desiree. The future he had envisioned suddenly came into question. He was diagnosed with left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy, a rare congenital heart defect. His doctor explained that his heart was too large. It expanded and tried to pump more blood, growing larger in the process. The situation is only getting worse. “In hindsight, it was traumatic. It was really depressing,” he explains. He searched the internet for information, but couldn’t find much, and even fewer stories of patients he could relate to.

The medicine helped me for a while. But after moving to Boston in 2016, getting married and having a young boy, her symptoms returned. Doctors determined he needed a surgically implanted mechanical heart pump. He uses the LVAD 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and plugs it into the wall to charge it at night. The LVAD kept Booba alive for six years until he finally underwent a transplant in 2022. One of the most moving photos taken after the transplant shows one of her sons listening to the sounds of his new heart through a stethoscope. “I think the path we take to get to transplant really determines our next steps,” he said.

The next step was Heart of a Giant. To provide answers for other patients, Booba wrote a blog. He volunteered with the American Heart Association. Although I had moments of despair, I tried to process the negative emotions by being proactive about my health. Booba grew up watching how her mother, a doctor, treated patients and how outcomes depended on patients’ willingness to follow advice and make healthy changes. He set an example for those around him as a patient. “I tried to be an emotional leader when I could and a physical leader when I could,” he said. “I’m just trying to lead in certain areas and that’s kind of how I’ve been pushing it.”

His Heart of a Giant Foundation currently serves 19 Greater Boston communities and plans to expand in 2026. The foundation receives grants from the American Heart Association and CVS and collaborates with community groups, municipalities, and research institutions. The event at the East Boston Senior Center also featured a partnership with the City of Boston’s Age Strong Committee.

In addition to screening and education, Buba says one of the keys to a healthier community is relationships. Friendship is born when people encourage each other. The growing trust between Bouba’s team and the communities they serve also allows the foundation to connect people with doctors and provide additional care when needed.

Booba is living a full life. In addition to serving as Heart of a Giant’s “Chief Inspiration Officer,” he is also a busy father of three sons and leads public relations, engagement, communications, and sustainability for energy infrastructure projects. He approaches his work with gratitude for his health, his family, and the community he has helped create through Heart of a Giant. Looking around the crowd at the senior center, he explained how the foundation’s name focuses on its commitment to the people it serves and the supporters whose donations make its work possible. “What we have is all the goodwill, support and love from the public,” he said. “It must come from people with big hearts, the hearts of giants.”