Blog
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The Uncertainty of Living with CHD
CHD comes with many unknowns. As patients reach adulthood, things only get a little more gray. It can take a lot to balance between dealing with a chronic illness and living your life. In this week’s blog, one patient shares how the uncertainty of her condition impacts her outlook. By the time I was a…
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How is a Congenital Heart Defect Diagnosed?
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect amongst newborns. Sometimes it is found during pregnancy, but other times the diagnosis doesn’t come until after the child is born. There’s a lot of testing that can help diagnose this condition, as well, and there are some other factors that can help confirm the…
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Living With a Child With Congenital Heart Disease
There are many challenges parents face. Those challenges get even more daunting for parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). This is the most common type of birth defect, affecting nearly eight out of every 1,000 newborns. The first year is particularly harrowing, as those with critical defects have to endure surgery or other…
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Halloween Fun and Treats That aren’t Pumpkin Spice
We’ve all had our fair share of scares, but Halloween brings a different kind of fright, plus fun for the whole family! Spooky Season is here, with all its tricks and treats. Check out these spine-tingling ideas for devilishly delicious drinks, creepy crafts, haunting home goods, and more! “Trick” Out Your Home There’s nothing like…
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A la increíble comunidad de la que nunca quise ser parte: la perspectiva de un padre sobre el impacto de la CHD en la salud mental
La cardiopatía congénita nunca se trata solo del corazón. La CHD tiene un impacto real, a menudo invisible, en todos los aspectos de la vida y la salud de los pacientes y sus familias, especialmente cuando se trata de la salud mental. Puede parecer que usted es el único que experimenta los impactos en la…
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To the Amazing Community I Never Wanted to Be a Part Of – A Parent’s Perspective on the Impact of CHD on Mental Health
Congenital heart disease is never just about the heart. CHD has a real, often invisible impact on all aspects of life and health for patients and families, especially when it comes to mental health. It may feel like you’re the only one experiencing the mental health impacts of CHD, but as this open letter to…
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What causes coronary heart disease?
There are many different types of diseases that affect the heart. One of the most common heart diseases is coronary heart disease – impacting over 18 million adults in the U.S. This type of heart disease prevents proper blood flow through the main arteries of the heart, often resulting in severe symptoms or death. Patients…
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What is the life expectancy for a child with a congenital heart defect?
Medical improvements and treatment plans have increased the life expectancy of children born with congenital heart disease. With congenital heart disease treatment, support, and care, babies born with congenital heart defects are able to live longer and healthier lives. It’s important to recognize all the care options when it comes to raising a child with…
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CHD BEAT: Elevating the Family Voice – Rita Higgins, RN
We often share stories and features from patients and parents of children with CHD, but there is more to the CHD community. In this edition of our CHD Beat highlight series, we introduce you to Rita Higgins, a Registered Nurse and parent of a young adult with CHD, who shares how her daughter’s CHD journey…
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An Open Letter to Our Village
They say it takes a village. It sounds cliché, but it is true. As an adult with CHD, I see that the need for support, for that village, for your people to rally around you – in crisis, in celebration, in life – does not end once you’re “grown up”. Beyond our parents, our extended…