Have a broken heart?

Hi everyone! This is my congenital heart defect blog! Do you know what a congenital heart defect is? Let me explain. It is the number 1 birth defect. 1 in 100 births result in congenital heart defects, and there is no known cause. It is a silent killer. What is a congenital heart defect?
Congenital heart defects are structural problems with the heart present at birth. They result when a mishap occurs during heart development soon after conception and often before the mother is aware that she is pregnant. Defects range in severity from simple problems, such as "holes" between chambers of the heart, to very severe malformations, such as complete absence of one or more chambers or valves. (information obtained from American heart association)

#1 Cause of death under the age of 1
There are 35 types of congenital heart defects




12 Canadians are born each day with a congenital heart defect

180,000 The estimated number of Canadian adults and children with CHD. Many babies go home undiagnosed, only to die silently in their cribs. The lucky ones get diagnosed as adults. The teen that collapses on the basket ball court from heart problems may have had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. While autism is a new diagnosis in kids, it is still more visible then congenital heart defects. a Congenital heart defects have less funding for research than pediatric cancers and pediatric aids. Congenital heart defects have less celebrity attention than pediatric cancer which means less "LOUD" exposure. What is "LOUD" exposure. Let's face it, when you have Robin Williams pitching for your cause, you stand up and notice.

There is hope, there is something you can do. Congenital heart defect day is Feb 14th. You can tell one person what a congenital heart defect is. If you tell one person, they can tell one person and so on. You get the drill. In Illinois, it is a national day, in other places it is a week. My theory is every day is learn about congenital hearts day. We can never do too much for our small brave heros. They are the true heros as well as the moms, dads and grandparents who take care of them. Learn about congenital heart defects and spread the word. Abby has a congenital heart defect. Let's talk!