We are so thankful to all of the volunteers and supporters, including members of the Board of Directors (BOD) and Patient & Family Advisory Board (PFAB), who have worked hard to spread awareness about both ACHA and the importance of lifelong care for adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).
Here is some more information on just some of these activities:
Proclamations
CHD Awareness Day in New York City (thank you to Alan Sabal, PFAB)
CHD Awareness Week in Albuquerque, NM (thank you to Dubra Karnes-Padilla, PFAB)
Published Letters to the Editor
- Anne Reilly, BOD, The News Press (link)
- Dubra Karnes-Padilla, PFAB, Albuquerque Journal (link)
- Jennifer Hockenhull, ACHA's Director of Finance, Hartford Courant (link)
State House Resolutions
- House Resolution 31 declared February 7-14 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week in Michigan. (link)
- House Resolution 104 declared February 7-14 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at Georgia’s state capitol of Atlanta. (link)
News Story
- PFAB co-chair Mindy Beyer shared her CHD story with NEWS CENTER Maine (link)
Events
The Happy Heart Festival on February 4 was an educational symposium for 300+ Camp del Corazon family and campers at Edwards Lifesciences’ corporate headquarters in Irvine, CA. ACHA’s Regional Development Manager Emily Earhart tabled at the event and presented as part of a panel on transition, sharing ACHA’s resources and the importance of lifelong care.
The Congenital Heart Center at OSF HealthCare, along with the Organization for Understanding Congenital Heart (TOUCH), hosted their annual symposium on February 11. The focus this year was “Life with CHD, Growing into Adulthood.” This great day of learning, collaborating and meeting new friends included sessions such as the history of CHD treatment, and current therapies available today and in the future for adults with CHD. Thank you to our Board Chair James Ruppel and member Kristi Ryan, APRN, CPNP-AC, for their involvement and encouraging attendees to get involved with ACHA!
On February 16, PFAB member Ashlyn Karre hosted a charity spin class at her local gym in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Ashlyn had a table to spread awareness about CHD and ACHA, and raised more than $1,000 by class attendees and through general donations!
