CHD Awareness Week

Today starts the first day of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. I have added a few tabs at the top of this blog, including an "about Lu" tab, and others, to honor our CHD warriors.

Most people are unaware that Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defect in America, affecting approximately one in one hundred, or 40,000 newborns each year. CHDs are responsible for one third of all birth defect-related deaths and sadly 20 percent of children who make it through birth will not survive past their first birthday. Although a child is born every 15 minutes with a CHD, research continues to be ...grossly under-funded in America. Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding, only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research. (http://childrensheartfoundation.org/)

7 months ago, I did not know that or any of the other surprising facts about CHDs. As a parent of a child born with a congenital heart defect, it is my responsibility to raise awareness about this very serious and common birth defect, in the hopes that it might save a child's life.

My daughter, Lu, was very lucky that she was able to have a successful heart surgery to repair her defects, but not all families are as lucky as ours. This year approximately 4,000 babies will not live to see their first birthday because of Congenital Heart Defects. Part of the reason for this is that most of the defects are not detected in utero or at birth. Some babies are diagnosed in time for treatment and, sadly, some are not.

There is much research to be done and it all starts with awareness. 

If you are part of the Facebook community, please see our CHD Awareness Week Event HERE and post our logo as your Facebook profile picture, in order to inform people and to honor all of our CHD survivors and angels!