We're truly grateful for your visit to our team page! This is our 9th year as a team!
Our team is walking with purpose this year—celebrating 30 incredible years of The Children's Heart Foundation funding research that saves lives! Every 15 minutes in the United States, a baby is born with a congenital heart defect, making CHDs the most common birth defect in our country. For three decades, CHF has been the driving force behind the treatments and surgical advances that have transformed survival rates and given countless children with CHD the chance to thrive.
As many of you know, our daughter Emily, was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) in utero at 24 weeks. Our journey from there has been full of ups and downs but thankfully Emily is 8 years old and doing amazing. She has had 3 open heart surgeries and 6 cardiac cath lab procedures.
There is no cure for Emily's CHD only the set of three palliative care surgeries to hopefully give her a long, happy life. In May 2021, she underwent her third planned surgery, the Fontan. While this is exciting to think most major surgeries are behind us (hopefully) it’s also a little bit scary to think if she needs further intervention a heart transplant may be our only option. We are trying to change that by raising money for The Children's Heart Foundation to increase research for more options not only for Emily’s future but also for all kiddos with CHDs!
The Congenital Heart Walk is dedicated to making this impact continue. Our mission is clear—we aim to raise funds to support The Children's Heart Foundation's quest to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CHDs by funding groundbreaking research that improves outcomes, reduces complications, and helps Heart Warriors live longer, healthier lives.
We invite you to join our team in honoring this legacy. By supporting our team or walking with us, you're contributing to research that can save and enhance the lives of infants born with CHDs, as well as children and adults living with these conditions. Together, we're part of a 30-year story of hope—and we're writing the next chapter. Your support makes a significant impact, and for that, we want to say a heartfelt thank you.