Today is the first day of a very important week, Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness!
CHD Awareness Week (February 7 – 14) is an annual awareness effort to help educate the public about Congenital Heart Defects. Participants include individuals, local support groups, national and local organizations and congenital cardiology centers throughout the world!
My friends at Mended Little Heart of Winchester work diligently to spread awareness every single day. They aim to bring Hope, Help, and Healing to parents and families of the “littlest heart patients of all.” I enjoy reading their Facebook updates where they share statistics, their generous efforts to give back to the community, and personal experiences with CHD.
Here are some astonishing facts shared on the CHD Awareness Week site:
- Congenital Heart Disease is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide.
- Despite the fact that CHD affects approximately 1.8 millions families in the U.S., a relatively small amount of funding is currently available for parent/patient educational services, research, and support.
- By sharing our experiences and providing information, we hope to raise public awareness about conditions that affect approximately 40,000 babies each year in the United States alone.
- It is our sincere hope that efforts to educate the public will result in improved early diagnosis, additional funding for support and educational services, scientific research, and access to quality of care for our children and adults.
How can YOU help?
- Get involved with family and/or national CHD organizations.
- Like CardioSmart’s Facebook page and CardioSmart & Coca-Cola Live Positively will donate $2 to Mended Little Hearts National Organization.
- Make a donation. Here is the link to help support Mended Little Hearts of Winchester.
- If you are on Twitter, simply retweet this message! Education is power. Help spread awareness for CHD!