50% of children born with heart defects will need heart surgery at sometime in their life. Of the 50%, 35% need surgery in the first month or they die.
One per cent (1%) of the world’s population is born with heart disease, making it the most common birth defect. Many congenital heart defects can be repaired with one surgical intervention, some require staged repairs. The United States and other developed countries throughout the world have hundreds of medical centers with trained specialists to care for children with heart disease. For children who are born in developing nations, this is not the case.
In these developing countries, congenital heart defects often go undiagnosed until the child begins turning blue and having difficulty eating. This is when the nightmare begins for the child and his parents. Local doctors will tell them there is no one who can help in their country. They will be told that they can send their child to the United Kingdom, the United States, or other developed country with trained doctors. But that would cost more money than many of these parents will see in their lifetimes.
Imagine the anguish of parents in underdeveloped or remote regions who have no one to work this miracle on their suffering child. Imagine having no alternative to watching your child waste away and die. A simple procedure performed by skilled surgeons could save many children. The challenge is to get skilled doctors to the children in time to save them.
The International Children’s Heart Foundation strives to correct this unfortunate situation by:
The passion for our work is demonstrated through the remarkable consistent and continuing commitment of the ICHF staff and their volunteer medical teams who execute 30-35 two to three week trips each year.