Young Mended Hearts® was created to give hope and support to young adults (ages 18-55 suggested) who have heart disease, including congenital heart disease (CHD). The program was as initially created to fill a gap for those who felt they didn’t quite belong in Mended Hearts® chapters, which are mainly made up of older adults who have heart disease, or in Mended Little Hearts® groups, which are mostly made up of parents of children born with heart conditions and their children and families.
Young Mended Hearts members want and need the same peer support that Mended Hearts and Mended Little Hearts offer, but their peers are younger adults living with heart disease. Many young adults told us they would like to meet in support groups designed for them and be accredited visitors for young adults like themselves. Thus, Young Mended Hearts began in Bellingham, Washington in April 2015 and was officially adopted as a MHI program by its Board of Directors in August 2021.
Young Mended Hearts has become a haven for young heart patients and their families to meet. A place where they can be themselves. A place to share their concerns, fears, challenges, and most of all, their successes and their love of life.
