The month of love is just around the corner and this February HeartKids is asking us to be sweethearts and help raise awareness and critical funding for kids and their families impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD).

Chances are you know a family that’s been impacted with CoHD, which directly touches the lives of 250,000 children, teens, and adults, and approximately one million Australian families each year.

An estimated 2,400 Australian babies are born with CoHD, which includes any type of malformation of the heart, heart valves or major blood vessels which are present at birth. It’s the most common congenital disorder in newborns affecting up to one in every 100 births, and for most there is no cure, CoHD is lifelong, impacting children, teens and adults.

This year, for the first time, Sweethearts for HeartKids will run for the entire month of February which coincides with International Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14th February) and Valentine’s Day. SweetHearts for HeartKids aims to raise awareness of CoHD and much needed funds to reach Australian Heart Families, allowing them to access vital resources, support, advocacy and connection to the broader CoHD community.

During this month-long campaign which aims to raise $350,000, HeartKids will partner with major cities and communities to light up the sky, with major landmarks across Australia to be transformed with pink and blue lighting.

This includes the iconic Bell Tower and Yagan Square in WA, Story Bridge and Victoria Bridge in QLD and The Adelaide Entertainment Centre (SA).

In a new initiative, Australians will also be able to Shop Sweethearts and ‘put some heart in your cart’. This will see retailers including Bega, Whitewings and Cupcake Central (VIC) partner with HeartKids, with a portion of sales from certain products going directly to HeartKids this February.

“Every three hours, a baby is born with CoHD; that’s eight children every single day. This February, we are asking Aussies to be a sweetheart for HeartKids and help HeartKids support Aussie families
impacted by CoHD,” said HeartKids CEO, Marcus Sandmann.

“Funds raised through our Sweethearts for HeartKids initiative will allow us to continue to make a life-long lasting impact including strengthening our Early Childhood Intervention programs and growing our support in remote and regional areas, raising awareness and generating more funding to help children, teens, adults and their families thrive.”

Caryn Pender (Bathurst, NSW) had her life turned upside down when she was told her newborn
daughter Callie had a life-threatening heart condition. After a terrifying 16 days of hospitalisation, testing and specialised care, Callie was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), a condition made up of a combination of four defects of the heart and its blood vessels that commonly occur together.

During what was one of the worst moments of her life, Caryn was embraced by the HeartKids family, with a support officer spending countless hours holding her hand through each step of the process.

“The care, calmness and support from the HeartKids staff at the hospital was hands down the only thing that got me through Callie’s surgery mentally. Four years on, our baby girl is a survivor, and we rely on the ongoing support of HeartKids to be able to attend critical appointments to keep fighting this disease,” Pender said.

Over the past year, HeartKids has expanded its services, particularly in regional and remote areas, providing greater support to more than 1,200 families like the Penders who have to travel hundreds of kilometres regularly to access emergency care.

Given the widespread occurrence and significant health implications of CoHD, there is a critical opportunity to increase awareness of its complexity and lifelong impact such as prolonged hospital stays, medical challenges, and, in some cases, loss of life.

HeartKids is the only Australian charity dedicated to supporting children, teens, and adults living with CoHD, which includes CHD and other heart conditions that develop during childhood. All money raised supports children, teens, adults, and their families impacted by CoHD, delivering vital support through HeartKids’ holistic, lifelong model of care. This includes support for families following a diagnosis, tailored programs, regional support, access to resources, financial support, practical assistance and ongoing support services.

“During a month of the year when people traditionally think about hearts and flowers, we want to encourage Australians to give their hearts to a HeartKid, dig deep, and support however possible,” said Sandmann.

“This year there are many ways to get involved with SweetHearts for HeartKids; you can donate, visit a lit up landmark in your city, hold your own fundraiser at your school or office, or purchase selected products from our Shop Sweethearts partners. Just $21 can make a world of difference to a HeartKid and their families who require a lifetime of support and connection.”

Head to Sweethearts for HeartKids for the full list of light up locations.