February 7th-14th is CHD Awareness Week

February 7th marked the start of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. To help raise awareness, Mott Children’s Hospital requested those with mended hearts to participate in a video slideshow. I’m proud to say that not only is Evan in the video, he is the coverboy! The picture below is part of the email that is sent when anyone shares the video with a friend. You can see the entire email here and share it with all of your friends and family. 😉

Why is CHD awareness important?

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect. It affects approximately 1.8 million families in the U.S. alone. Despite how common it is, there is a relatively small amount of funding for parent/patient education services, support, and research. Around 40,000 babies (1 in 100) are born each year with a CHD. The improvements in care and success rates for these children has been phenomenal over the last 15+ years but more work is needed. Early detection and continued research into long term care are critical as these patients reach adulthood. We are just now at a time where there are more adults living with CHD’s than children, a testament to the hard work, dedication, and technological improvements that have been made.

From Evan to you, Happy Valentine’s Day!