Category: Mended Little Hearts Blog
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Reflections of a Heart Family
Sometimes six years in the CHD world does not seem like an awfully long time, and sometimes it feels like we have been here forever. When I think back on the early days of my daughter’s diagnosis and birth, I am amazed at the obstacles we have overcome. We would learn something was amiss during…
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My Heart Journey — So Far
When my daughter was 4 years old, her doctor heard a faint clicking sound in her heart at a well-child visit. We discovered she had a bicuspid aortic valve and several other heart defects. She is now 19 and has always been asymptomatic and hasn’t needed surgery. Because a bicuspid valve is congenital, her cardiologist…
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Nonprofit Leadership in the Time of COVID-19
by Jodi Smith, Program Director for Mended Hearts and Mended Little Hearts In the best of times, nonprofit leadership can be hard. Nonprofit staff have often chosen a path where the financial benefits may be far less than those of their for-profit counterparts, but where they believe what they do makes the world a better…
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Heart-Healthy Tips for Springtime
Spring is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, so it’s also a perfect time to revisit your habits and adopt some heart-healthy routines. During the winter months, it’s easy to become sedentary, but spring is the time to get back in motion and take advantage of all that Mother Nature has to offer.…
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Understanding Heart Valve Disease: Brandon’s Story
Valve Disease Awareness Day is February 22 and Mended Hearts is a proud partner of this annual event! This year we are sharing a series of four unique stories about valve disease to highlight the fact that valve disease affects millions of people, in a variety of ways. Ronda Adamo is the Lead Coordinator of…
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Understanding Heart Valve Disease: Victor’s Story
Valve Disease Awareness Day is February 22 and Mended Hearts is a proud partner of this annual event! This year we are sharing a series of four unique stories about valve disease to highlight the fact that valve disease affects millions of people, in a variety of ways. Victor Elizalde is User Experience Designer (UX…
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Understanding Heart Valve Disease: Jenn’s Story
Valve Disease Awareness Day is February 22 and Mended Hearts is a proud partner of this annual event! This year we are sharing a series of four unique stories about valve disease to highlight the fact that valve disease affects millions of people, in a variety of ways. Jennifer is a licensed mental health counselor,…
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![Your Dreams Can Happen: Believe It! [Strength and Spirit Series]](https://stage.mendedhearts.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/marc-olivier-jodoin-TStNU7H4UEE-unsplash-125x125.jpg)
Your Dreams Can Happen: Believe It! [Strength and Spirit Series]
By Yacxara, as part of our Strength and Spirit Series We heart kids — and adults — may be born with certain challenges, but we really aren’t that different than anyone else. We all want to grow up and go to school, go to college, get married and have kids. We don’t always know if…
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Reducing the Burden of Heart Failure
Mended Hearts has joined other partners across the industry to establish a Heart Failure Charter. Mended Hearts is proud to have collaborated on the Heart Failure Charter. This charter is designed to give us all a road map in reducing the burden of heart failure. Collaborating organizations from patient organizations, to professional societies and research…
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Like Mother, Like Daughter
By Amy Suson “You’ll likely never have children.” I had heard those words repeatedly growing up. Being born with severe tricuspid valve stenosis, transposition of the great arteries, hypoplastic right ventricle, VSD, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, I really was not too surprised. I knew I was blessed enough to have had only two heart…