Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week:
Raising Awareness of the #1 Birth Defect at a Local Level
Over 1 million babies worldwide are born each year with congenital heart defects (CHD) – the most common birth defect and the most common cause of infant death from birth defects. Every year from February 7-14th, the heart community recognizes and brings awareness of this important disease to the greater community during Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Awareness week.
Your gift towards our CHD Awareness Campaign 2023 will benefit Bravery Bag/Bravery Chest programs for Children's Hospital of Colorado and Colorado's pediatric outpatient heart clinics. It will also directly impact our new family sustenance support program for inpatient families at our local hospitals.
Mended Little Hearts® is a program of The Mended Hearts, Inc., a national nonprofit organization that works at national, regional and local levels to raise awareness of this terrible disease and to lend support to the families that are affected. During CHD Week, Mended Little Hearts members across the country host events in their communities to recognize the strength and resilience of heart families, to raise awareness of CHD, and to remember those we have lost. National events such as our #RockYourScar photo contest and YouTube Channel and our Candlelight Remembrance held on February 11, 2023, bring awareness of this disease to those outside of the CHD community. Visit our local local chapter website or check us out on social media for information on events being held in Colorado’s front range.
Throughout the year, Mended Little Hearts works closely with their local hospitals, medical partners, and community organizations to inspire hope, support, and improve the lives of families with children in the hospital and at home. Programs like the Mended Little Hearts Bravery Bag program, provide support to families in the hospital when they need it the most, and our online digital resource, the Mended Little Heart Guide (www.mendedlittleheartguide.org), is a valuable resource for families.
“Often, families who have kids with heart defects suddenly feel like they don’t belong—like no one understands them,” said Jodi Smith, national program director, who is also the mother of a child living with a heart defect. “Mended Little Hearts connects families with others like them in their local community, so they have a place where they fit in and feel supported, and this helps tremendously in the healing process.” Mended Little Hearts of Colorado serves our local heart community through support groups, educational and empowerment meetings, social events, awareness activities, and fundraising campaigns that support congenital heart disease programs at children’s hospitals in Colorado.
Meet some members of Mended Little Hearts of Colorado:
To find out more about Mended Little Hearts and its programs, please visit mendedlittlehearts.org. To find out more about our local MLH group and our services, please visit MLHofCO.org.
email: [email protected]
phone: (719) 900-2708 (no text)