The Children’s Heart Foundation, the country’s leading organization solely dedicated to funding congenital heart defect research, and the Mend a Heart Foundation, dedicated to extending and enriching the lives of children born with congenital heart defects, have partnered to fund congenital heart defect research.
Congenital heart defects, or CHDs, are America’s most common birth defect, affecting nearly 40,000 babies every year. Today, with medical advancements that have been made possible through research, it is estimated that 95% of babies born with a non-critical CHDs are expected to survive to at least 18 years of age. This means that more babies with CHDs are living into adulthood, bringing about life-long care needs that did not exist previously.
The Mend a Heart Foundation Award, through The Children's Heart Foundation, will support research that focuses on adult congenital heart disease, and improving the quality of life for patients with CHDs as they grow into adulthood. This is a critical area of research, as people with CHDs face life-long risk of health problems such as developmental delays, heart rhythm problems, heart failure, and more.
“Through this partnership, Mend a Heart is excited to leverage the CHF medical board to assist us in identifying promising research to help heart children living into adulthood,” said Bridget O’Meara, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Mend a Heart Foundation. “It’s a growing area of need, and of the utmost importance to families like ours with heart kids transitioning to adulthood.”
Brian and Bridget O'Meara were inspired by their son, Liam, to start the Mend a Heart Foundation in 2007. Liam was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which meant that he was essentially missing half his heart. He has successfully undergone three reconstructive heart surgeries. He lives today because of the many heart babies that came before him and the great medical minds and compassionate caregivers who reconfigured his heart to function with a single ventricle.
"We’re excited to be funding research in the adult CHD space with the Mend a Heart Foundation," said Gail Roddie-Hamlin, President & CEO at The Children’s Heart Foundation. "With an estimated 2.5 million people living with CHDs in the U.S., the growing population of young adults and adults with CHDs is a critical area of focus for The Children’s Heart Foundation.”
The Mend a Heart Foundation Award will provide the awardee $200,000 over a two-year period to conduct their research on adult congenital heart disease. For more information about the award, including criteria and application instructions, please visit https://www.childrensheartfoundation.org/for-researchers/mend-a-heart-foundation-partnership.html or contact us at MHFAward@childrensheartfoundation.org.
