The Children's Heart Foundation

The Children's Heart Foundation Funding the most promising congenital heart defect research so that Heart Warriors everywhere can live longer, healthier lives.
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The Children's Heart Foundation was founded in 1996 and is the country's leading organization solely dedicated to funding congenital heart defect (CHD) research. Our vision is a world in which everyone born with a congenital heart defect has the chance to live a long, healthy life, and that eventually, CHDs will be eradicated altogether. That's why we are dedicated to funding research to advance t

he diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CHDs. With the help of our volunteers and supporters, we are making great progress. Since The Children's Heart Foundation began funding CHD research more than 25 years ago, survival rates, longevity, and quality of life have dramatically improved for CHD patients. Because of this, The Children's Heart Foundation has added important research focus on developmental, transitional, and long term care needs affecting the millions of Americans with CHDs who now live longer lives. The research we fund positively impacts all CHD patients.

Today we observe Bereaved Mother's Day and send our thoughts to every mother who has lost a child to a congenital heart ...
05/03/2026

Today we observe Bereaved Mother's Day and send our thoughts to every mother who has lost a child to a congenital heart defect ( ), or any other circumstance. 🤍 Today, and every day, our hearts are with yours.

May is . ❤ Children born with congenital heart defects face challenges that evolve over time. Beyond health and medical...
05/01/2026

May is . ❤ Children born with congenital heart defects face challenges that evolve over time. Beyond health and medical issues, many people living with may experience psychological and social challenges from infancy through adulthood.

Children with more complex CHDs are five times more likely to receive an anxiety diagnosis in their lifetime compared to children without CHD*. For adults with CHD, the rate of experiencing a mood or anxiety disorder in their lifetime is about 50%, compared to about 30% for adults in the general population*. Because of this, The Children's Heart Foundation is funding more research on neurological outcomes and the mental well-being of those impacted by CHDs.
*Information from a series of scientific statements recently published by the American Heart Association.

The Long Island Congenital Heart Walk is this SATURDAY, May 2nd! Join us at Sunken meadow STATE park, Field 1 as we gath...
04/30/2026

The Long Island Congenital Heart Walk is this SATURDAY, May 2nd! Join us at Sunken meadow STATE park, Field 1 as we gather to raise funds for the most promising congenital heart defect ( ) research.❤

10 Reasons to Look Forward to the Walk!
❤️ Remember our Heart Angels & celebrate our Heart Warriors
🎧 Dance along with the beats from our live DJ
đź‘‘ Meet and greet royalty: Geanna Koulouris, Miss Long Island 2026, and Shyla Silva, Miss Long Island Teen 2026
🧸 Visit the adorable Teddy Bear Hospital tent - an initiative from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine that creates a nurturing environment where children learn about healthcare through imaginative play while building positive associations with medical care.
đź©ş Watch live CPR & basic life-saving education demos provided by MedicZero NYIT students
🎉 Stop by the Stony Brook Children's Hospital, PM Pediatrics, and Suffolk County Detectives Association Tents
🎨 Get your face painted in fabulous colors
🎯 Try your luck at some carnival games
🍿 Enjoy some snacks provided by Boar's Head MacConnie Provisions
đź‘ź And of course, take part in our signature Heart Walk!

Register today! https://secure.qgiv.com/event/longisland/

Happy 2nd Birthday Jesse! ❤Jesse was born with tetralogy of fallot ( ) on April 30th 2024 and had a full repair open hea...
04/30/2026

Happy 2nd Birthday Jesse! ❤

Jesse was born with tetralogy of fallot ( ) on April 30th 2024 and had a full repair open heart surgery at 7 days old. Jesse had a stent put in, in March 2025 and has been thriving ever since. Jesse continues to be monitored by Dr. Flynn at Avalon Pediatric Cardiology.

Jesse is a funny, smart, loving little boy. He has exceeded his teachers expectations at his pre-twos program and makes friends everywhere he goes. Jesse’s parents are beyond proud of everything Jesse has accomplished in his second year of life and can’t wait to see what Jesse does in year three.

🌟 Spotlight 🌟Meet Amy Hecht, the leader of the CHF Florida Region and a new member of the CHF Board of Directors! ❤ Dr...
04/29/2026

🌟 Spotlight 🌟
Meet Amy Hecht, the leader of the CHF Florida Region and a new member of the CHF Board of Directors! ❤ Dr. Amy Hecht serves as the vice president for student affairs at Florida State University. A professional in higher education leadership since 2001, Amy has extensive experience leading and managing within higher education. Amy has published books and articles focused on organizational change, learning, and leadership. Amy’s second daughter, Isabel (Izzy) Macchio (2 years old) was born with pulmonary atresia, a serious congenital heart defect (CHD), which was diagnosed hours after her birth. After learning more about CHDs, Amy wanted to get involved and was connected with The Children’s Heart Foundation. She is excited to be a part of rebuilding the Florida Region and giving back to improve the outcomes for all children born with CHDs. Amy and her husband, Anthony Macchio, have an older daughter Josie (6 years old) who was diagnosed with leukemia (ALL) in 2019. They also give back to Shands Hospital in Gainesville to support the excellent care both their children receive. Josie runs an esty shop, selling her paintings to raise money for other children with cancer. As Izzy grows up, we look forward to helping her find her own way to give back and make a positive difference.

Meet Kai ❤ His family shares his story below."Kai’s story didn’t start the way we thought it would.When he was born, w...
04/29/2026

Meet Kai ❤ His family shares his story below.

"Kai’s story didn’t start the way we thought it would.

When he was born, we held him for the first time with nothing but love and joy.

There was no diagnosis. No warning.

Just our baby boy… finally here.

We didn’t know in that moment that everything was about to change.

Kai is our heart warrior.

And this page holds his story—the heartbreak, the fear, the fight, the healing…and every single moment in between.

His story is still being written.

And we are so incredibly grateful he’s still here to write it. ❤"

Read his full story here: https://bit.ly/KaiHeartStory

🌟 Spotlight 🌟Meet Tessa Cooper, Co-leader of the CHF Southern Plains Region ❤Connection to the Cause: "I myself am an ...
04/28/2026

🌟 Spotlight 🌟
Meet Tessa Cooper, Co-leader of the CHF Southern Plains Region ❤

Connection to the Cause: "I myself am an adult with a CHD. I was born with Pulmonary Stenosis which was corrected in Open Heart surgery only a few days after I was born. That was nearly 34 years ago and I have been able to live a full and healthy life since! Without organizations like the Children’s Heart Foundation, surgeries, techniques and devices would not be able to advance as they have over the past few decades. More and more children with CHDs are living long into adulthood due to these advancements and the research that leads to their success."

Leadership Role and Impact: "I have recently stepped into the role as Regional Co- Leader. Prior to taking on this role, I have been on the regional council, our Hearts that Hope Gala committee for 4 years and was a part of the Heart Walk committee for 4 years."

Please join us in welcoming the four new members of The Children's Heart Foundation's Board of Directors: Amy Hecht, Sar...
04/27/2026

Please join us in welcoming the four new members of The Children's Heart Foundation's Board of Directors: Amy Hecht, Sara Pasquali, Madeline Runco, and Cheryl Tucker. ❤

We are deeply grateful for their commitment and for the time and expertise they bring to advancing our mission to fund the most promising congenital heart defect (CHD) research.

Meet Ashley Hurley, the volunteer region leader of the CHF Texas Region! ❤ Ashley became involved with CHF in 2018 aft...
04/25/2026

Meet Ashley Hurley, the volunteer region leader of the CHF Texas Region! ❤ Ashley became involved with CHF in 2018 after a dear friend, who is a Heart Warrior, was volunteering with the CHF Texas Region council. Since that day, she has continued to learn about the impact CHDs have on children along with the emotional and financial impact it has on the family.

She’s fallen in love with the Heart Warriors and Heart Angel families and uses that to fuel her personal mission to bring awareness to those who are unaffected by CHDs. She believes this allows the Heart families to continue spending their time and resources on their loved one, while WE, the outside community can walk alongside them to raise funds and promote awareness for CHD Research.

She has been an advocate for local foundations for years and strives to bring health issue awareness by participating in fundraising runs and donating within her community. Ashley has a huge place in her heart for children and remembers her early childhood days of going to the hospital on Christmas evening to bring presents to the admitted kids. She’s excited to use her background experience of event planning, team building activities and overall organization skills to help serve The Children’s Heart Foundation. ❤

For 30 years, The Children’s Heart Foundation has shown that investing in research saves lives. ❤️ As more children with...
04/24/2026

For 30 years, The Children’s Heart Foundation has shown that investing in research saves lives. ❤️ As more children with congenital heart defects grow into adulthood, the need for research is greater than ever.

In honor of our 30th anniversary, consider making a $30 gift to help fuel the next generation of discoveries and bring hope to every Heart Warrior.

Donate today and be part of what comes next: https://bit.ly/CHFDonation

🌟 Spotlight 🌟Meet Kelly Wittich! She's the incredible volunteer serving as Region Leader of the CHF Midwest Region! ❤ ...
04/23/2026

🌟 Spotlight 🌟
Meet Kelly Wittich! She's the incredible volunteer serving as Region Leader of the CHF Midwest Region! ❤ Kelly is a dedicated volunteer who's contributed to CHF's mission in many ways—from event planning to managing social media, all in honor of her Allison. She currently leads the Foundation’s Midwest Region and has served on the Board of Directors. Kelly also volunteers as a Wish Ambassador for Make-A-Wish Illinois and coordinates Jump Rope for Heart events at a local elementary school.

Meet Gabrielle Leonetti, the volunteer leading the CHF Delaware Valley Region ❤ She shares why she got involved with the...
04/23/2026

Meet Gabrielle Leonetti, the volunteer leading the CHF Delaware Valley Region ❤

She shares why she got involved with the Foundation below:
"I first got involved with The Children’s Heart Foundation by creating a walk team to honor my Heart Warrior, Luke Leonetti. When we learned about Luke’s heart defect in utero, it was an overwhelming shock. At the time, there was so little information available — just some statistics, but no real explanations for the why or how, and no clear path to a cure. He was born with Complete Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD) — essentially a large hole in the center of his heart where none of the chambers had properly formed.

By the time Luke was about 1 month old, he went into congestive heart failure and was placed on Digoxin. At just 2.5 months old, he underwent open-heart surgery. Our experience, while incredibly difficult, was also incredibly fortunate. Luke only needed one surgery, and he survived — something I know is not the reality for so many other CHD families.

About a year or two later, a friend asked where they could make a donation in honor of Luke. I started researching different foundations and came across The Children’s Heart Foundation. I was immediately drawn to their mission. Not only did they offer an incredible amount of information about congenital heart defects, but their commitment to funding research gave me hope that one day, families like mine might get answers — and better treatment options — for our heart warriors.

Serving as the Region Leader and a Team Lead for the Delaware Valley has been incredibly rewarding. This year, I’ve been able to support by creating social media content — something I was especially excited to help with as a Marketing Director in my career. It felt natural to lend those skills to a cause so close to my heart.
I’ve also had the opportunity to connect with others, attend events, and help raise awareness for congenital heart defects. I reached out to my son’s pediatrician, who generously made a donation, along with my company, several local connections, and others in the surrounding community." 💕

Address

5 Revere Drive One Northbrook Place Suite 200
Northbrook, IL
60062

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

http://chfwalk.org/, https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E12

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