AFS Cinema
Heart Month
RECEIVED Tue., Feb. 14, 2023
Dear Editor,
As an adult living a full life with a congenital heart defect (CHD), I am writing today to remind your readers that February is not just Heart Month – it also includes Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Week from February 7-14 and CHD Awareness Day on February 14. This day and week are incredibly important to spread awareness about the importance of CHD care throughout the entire lifespan.
Thanks to medical advances in just the last decade, more children born with heart defects – the number one birth defect in the United States – are living to adulthood. This is great news, but despite the nearly 2 million of us adults living with CHD who could share our stories, just a small number of patients (less than 10%) are seen in specialized centers and are getting appropriate and specialized cardiac care.
That’s where the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) comes in. ACHA is a nonprofit whose mission is to empower our CHD community by advancing access to resources and specialized care that improve patient-centered outcomes. Importantly, ACHA is the only national patient advocacy organization dedicated solely to serving adults living with CHD and the healthcare community that cares for them.
I am so proud to be a member and supporter of ACHA, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year. For a quarter century, ACHA has made sure that no one with CHD, including me, has felt alone. Through offerings such as conferences, peer-to-peer mentors, educational opportunities, charity walks and more, ACHA has been honored to be the conduit for adults in the CHD community to connect and lean on each other.
If you or someone you know was born with a heart defect and needs medical care, education, or just someone to talk to, please visit www.achaheart.org to connect and receive the support you need and deserve. Happy Heart Month!
As an adult living a full life with a congenital heart defect (CHD), I am writing today to remind your readers that February is not just Heart Month – it also includes Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Week from February 7-14 and CHD Awareness Day on February 14. This day and week are incredibly important to spread awareness about the importance of CHD care throughout the entire lifespan.
Thanks to medical advances in just the last decade, more children born with heart defects – the number one birth defect in the United States – are living to adulthood. This is great news, but despite the nearly 2 million of us adults living with CHD who could share our stories, just a small number of patients (less than 10%) are seen in specialized centers and are getting appropriate and specialized cardiac care.
That’s where the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) comes in. ACHA is a nonprofit whose mission is to empower our CHD community by advancing access to resources and specialized care that improve patient-centered outcomes. Importantly, ACHA is the only national patient advocacy organization dedicated solely to serving adults living with CHD and the healthcare community that cares for them.
I am so proud to be a member and supporter of ACHA, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year. For a quarter century, ACHA has made sure that no one with CHD, including me, has felt alone. Through offerings such as conferences, peer-to-peer mentors, educational opportunities, charity walks and more, ACHA has been honored to be the conduit for adults in the CHD community to connect and lean on each other.
If you or someone you know was born with a heart defect and needs medical care, education, or just someone to talk to, please visit www.achaheart.org to connect and receive the support you need and deserve. Happy Heart Month!
Michael Sipes
