Hope for Maddie's Heart provided by Bravenet.com

Our Fundraiser

Longaberger TV Time Basket

8"l x 6¾"w x 5¼"h front x 7"h back

Hope For Maddie's Heart has designed a Longaberger

TV Time basket just for CHD Awareness!

Please see our "Fundraiser" page for ordering.

Welcome...

Welcome and thank you for visiting our site. Our goal is to provide community awareness of Congenital Heart Defects, as well as raise money for research and to help families suffering hardships due to CHD.

Nearly 40,000 children are born each year with a CHD. Many of these children will not live to celebrate their 1st birthday. Though the numbers are staggering, very few people are even aware of CHD until it affects them directly.

A Congenital Heart Defect is any defect to the heart present at birth. There are aproximately 35 CHD's that have been identified. It is not unusual for a child to be born with more than one CHD.

Many of the CHD's must be treated with surgery or medication. Adequate medical facilites are not available in all states to treat such life threatening defects in children. This causes the family to have to travel, causing them financial difficulties. Some of these families are forced to leave their jobs and homes for long-term care in another state. It is for these families that we are raising funds to relieve them of some of their financial burdens. No family should have the stress of financial hardship while also dealing with the potential death of their child.

Our Inspiration

Madalyn Grace was born October 31, 2005 with the CHD Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS. The left side of her heart was underdeveloped, leaving her limited circulation of oxygen. Without immediate attention, HLHS is often fatal.

We were fortunate to know prior to her birth that she had HLHS. Though we had no idea what to expect, this allowed the doctors to be prepared for her birth. HLHS is treated with either a series of 3 open-heart surgeries, or a heart transplant. Madalyn had her first open-heart surgery when she was 4 days old. Since then, Maddie has had 3 more open-heart surgeries, a stomach fundoplication, and countless other procedures. She will still face at least one more open-heart surgery so long as her body stays strong.

Madalyn has been an inspiration since the day she was born. Everyday is a miracle. No matter what she faces, she does it with a smile. She may have been born with "half a heart", but she has the courage of a million men. Maddie has shown us how to appreciate everyday as if it could be the last.

We are inspired to do these fundraisers to help children like Maddie. We believe that with the increase of awareness and research, there will be a day when children no longer have to suffer from CHD.