International Children's Heart Foundation

Where Hope Comes to Life

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April 22, 2015

In her words: Abby Rabie

I still remember my 20-week ultrasound like it was yesterday. My husband and I were so excited to find out the gender of our baby. I knew that it was the ultrasound where they also check to make sure the baby has grown and such. However, we didn’t think much of it because we thought everything would be fine, and things like this didn’t happen to us. We thought this was something you see on TV or that happens to someone you don’t know. Honestly, before this day, we didn’t really know much about heart defects.

During the ultrasound a pediatric cardiologist came into the room and asked us if anyone in our family had a hole in their heart. At that second, my own heart stopped. I was wondering, why is he asking us this? Why is he in my room in the first place? What’s going with our baby? The baby that we tried for so long to have…

AbbyRabie1After the grueling two-hour ultrasound, my husband and I were asked to wait in a consultation room. At that moment, we knew something was definitely wrong. The doctor came in a told us the news. “Your baby will be born with a congenital heart defect. She has Tetrology of Fallot. She will have a rough first year and will require surgery right after birth and open heart surgery in the first year of life in order to repair her heart.” That was the beginning of our journey with congenital heart defects.

Once it all settled in and we came to terms with the facts, we realized how lucky we are to live in Houston, Texas, which has one of the best hospitals and great doctors and surgeons for congenital heart defects. Others, however, are not so lucky. I met people in the hospital that had left everything to come to Houston to give their child a chance at life. Some people had no one to lean on for support, others had other children that they had to leave behind and some people just had hope that everything would be OK.

Since I was lucky enough to have an amazing support system, I tried to lend myself to others to be there for them in their time of need. I wanted them to know I have been there, and I know how it feels. Whether it was the young AbbyRabie2mom all alone in the corner crying herself to sleep (yes, we would sleep in the waiting room for nights along with other parents), or the grandfather that would love to talk all day every day, just to get his mind off of it. I knew that it was my duty as a mother and as a human being to lend a hand. I would bring lunch or coffee one day or be by the bedside for someone who had to go home for the weekend to be with other children and just wanted someone to be there for her baby. I would smile and sing to her baby and text her pictures of her baby letting her know she was OK.

I have to say that I am blessed to have had good insurance to help us with the expenses and a great hospital team. However, this really made me think. What about the babies that are born in impoverished countries? What about them and their families? What do they do? It’s not fair for those innocent souls to not have a chance at life because they are not fortunate enough to live in the U.S. and do not have enough money for care. It’s not their fault. Their parents should not have to suffer, seeing their beautiful new baby and knowing that they may die and suffer in the process, just because they don’t have the means.

I would not in a million years ever want to imagine that for anyone. I decided to do some research because I wanted to donate and help other families who are going through this. That is when I came across the International Children’s Heart Foundation. I was so happy to find that this organization exists and that hundreds of babies and children are given a chance at life because of this amazing organization. I am happy to help this organization, and hopefully one day, I can contribute more. Every time I get a newsletter in the mail with pictures of babies and children that this organization has saved, I can’t help but smile and cry at the same time. They look so happy and alive.

Thank you very much to International Children’s Heart Foundation for giving these children and families a chance. You are truly amazing!

Filed Under: Ambassador

March 17, 2015

Ambassador Spotlight: Alicia Wilmoth

ICHF ambassadors help support and grow the mission of the organization, which is to bring together skills, knowledge and technology to cure and care for children with congenital heart disease in developing nations around the world.

Alicia is a CHD patient herself

Pediatric cardiothoracic surgery physician assistant Alicia Nicole Wilmoth is one of those rare and special ambassadors who is both a patient and a provider for ICHF.

Alicia - CHD Patient and ICHF AmbassadorThe 35-year-old hailing from Akron and now residing in Cincinnati, Ohio, was diagnosed with unbalanced atrioventricular canal, or left-sided dominance, heterotaxy and pulmonary atresia, which is a congenital heart disease that prevents the pulmonary valve from properly forming.

She’s had to receive several forms of medical treatment for these conditions, including a Blalock-Taussig shunt, a Glenn shunt, and a Fontan procedure, and multiple heart catheterizations for right pulmonary artery stent placement and coiling.

Even with diseases like this that can slow you down in life, Alicia has always been determined to live life to the fullest extent and not let her heart conditions knock her down.

“I think as someone with CHD, you face mortality head on, and it can either break you or strengthen you,” she said. “I try to face it with a positive attitude and with the realization that I, like everyone else, am the only one who holds the key to my happiness.”

Alicia Wilmoth - ICHF AmbassadorA passion for raising CHD awareness

Alicia offers her opinion on the most important thing that people should understand about CHD. It worries her that people don’t fully understand the meaning of congenital, a battle that takes place from life to death.

“CHD is not something that can be fixed, but rather, it is a life-long issue that we face. It is more prevalent than any other pediatric disease,” she said. “When people are shocked to hear ‘congenital heart disease’ and cry as they do for other serious illnesses, we’ll know we’ve made a difference then.”

In an era where there are more adults with CHD than children, ICHF is proud to have the support of ambassadors like Alicia. If you would like to become an ambassador, contact the team at ICHF to find out how. ICHF won’t give up the fight until the need for ICHF is obsolete.

Filed Under: Ambassador

February 20, 2015

Meet Jesser Solis-Contreras, ICHF Ambassador

Jesser is a 28-year-old from Nicaragua who was born with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Why we do what we do

He would not be here to tell his story today if it were not for organizations like ICHF that are dedicated to saving children and building sustainable cardiac surgery programs in countries where they do not already exist. He appreciates the work ICHF does because he knows that without organizations like ICHF, many children outside of the U.S., like him, would not live. Jesser is funny, real and has a great story. Check it out!

Filed Under: Ambassador, News

February 13, 2015

Q&A with Meagan Broucek, ICHF ambassador

Meet Meagan Broucek, a 25-year-old living with congenital heart disease. She has had three surgeries to mend her broken heart, but like many suffering from CHD, Meagan will never be completely healthy because CHD has no cure.

Raising Awareness for CHD

Meagan has become an ambassador for ICHF, as well as taken time to raise awareness about congenital heart disease. You can connect with Meagan on Facebook or on her YouTube channel. Be on the look out for more ambassador stories coming soon!

1) Provide your name, age, the city and state in which you live, your current occupation and how you are related to ICHF.

My name is Meagan Broucek, and I am 25 years old. I live in Las Vegas, but I was born in Michigan. I am currently working as a nanny, while working on my Master’s in Child and Adolescent Development. I am an Ambassador for ICHF and am spreading awareness about CHD, as well.

2) Briefly describe the type of CHD you have and what medical treatment you have had to receive because of it.

I have Hypo-plastic Left Heart Syndrome, VSD and Tricuspid Atresia. I basically have half a heart, but I am living a whole life! I have had three heart surgeries – the Norwood, the Glenn and the Fontan. It has been 23 years since my last surgery, and I am so happy to be here to help others!

3) How has CHD affected your life?

CHD has greatly affected my life. I was bullied when I was a kid because of my scar, but it just made me stronger. I am so glad to be here today, and I love my scar. Last year, I made a page to spread awareness about CHD and to help others. I have given hope to so many people and have talked to so many families around the world. CHD has made me the person I am today: a caring, kind person who just wants to help others.

4) What do you think is the most important thing people should know about CHD?

The most important thing to know about CHD is that there is no cure. I do wish there was, but the surgeries don’t fix us. They help us for a long time, but we never really know what could happen to us down the road. We don’t know what can happen in the future, which is scary. I am hoping there will be a medical breakthrough for CHD in the future.

Contact our team if you think you would like to become an ICHF Ambassador.

ICHF Ambassador Meagan 2 ICHF Ambassador Meagan 3

Filed Under: Ambassador, News

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Mission Statement

The mission of the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) is to bring the skills, technology and knowledge to cure and care for children with congenital heart disease in developing nations.  ICHF does this regardless of country of origin, race, religion or gender. Our goal is to make the need for ICHF obsolete. We work toward this goal through our medical mission trips, where we operate on children and educate local healthcare professionals.

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