CHD Awareness Week

CHD Facts

•                Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect worldwide

•                Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths worldwide

•                About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect in the United States (approx. 40,000/year)

•                Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for Congenital Heart Defects

•                Each year worldwide 100,000 babies (under one year old) will not live to celebrate their first birthday

•                Each year in the United States approximately 4,000 babies (under one year old) will not live to celebrate their first birthday

•                The cost for inpatient surgery to repair Congenital Heart Defects exceeds $2.2 billion a year

•                Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward Congenital Heart Defect research

•                The American Heart Association directs only $0.30 of every dollar donated toward research. The remainder goes toward administration, education and fundraising efforts. Of the $0.30 that goes toward research only $0.01 goes toward pediatric cardiology for CHD

•                Though research is ongoing, at least 35 defects have now been identified

•                Although some babies will be diagnosed during gestation or at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHD is not detected until adolescence or adulthood

•                It is a proven fact that the earlier CHD is detected and treated, it is more likely the affected child will survive and have less long term health complications

               Facts From ~ http://www.itsmyheart.org/chd-information/chd-facts/  

Emma is a CHD baby.  Emma was born on October 4^th 2010 with a severe heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with Intact Septum.  According to her cardiologist, this specfic heart defect is ‘incompatible with life.’  What he meant by this is that if undiagnosed prenatally, Emma would not have lived past a few hours old.  However, Emma did survive and after a CRAZY year journey (read here) Emma is alive, happy, and developing despite the ODDS.  I love my little CHD heart hero.

Please join me in spreading awareness during CHD awareness week (Feb 7^th-14^th).

You can help by:

1.    Posting Emma’s Picture as your profile picture this week.

2.    Wear RED in honor/memory of CHD babies.

3.    Donating Time or Money to organizations that help support these babies.

My heart Hero!

Click here to read about a wonderful heart mom poem.....