Children's Heart  Week, the national week to raise funds and awareness to help children who are born with a heart condition or acquire one in childhood, ran from May 8th 2010 until May 16th 2010.

How many children are affected?

Congenital heart conditions are the most common birth defect in the UK. Around 5000 babies are born with a malformation of the heart each year. Of these, two out of three will survive beyond infancy. A further 1000 children will acquire a heart condition because of an illness or medical treatment that damages their heart.

How are heart babies and children affected?

Big challenges

Congenital and acquired heart conditions cause a range of health problems and life challenges that vary from child to child depending on the specific problems with their heart; health issues can include breathlessness, dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, fluid retention, feeding/eating difficulties and blueness. Having a heart problem often leads to frequent tests and visits to hospital, some children need surgery – sometimes more than once – and, in the most severe cases may need a heart transplant. Many children with a heart problem also live with other medical conditions or a learning disability that are related as part of a larger disorder.

Just like other children

Heart children are often small for their age and those who have surgery will have physical scars, but in other respects, it may not be obvious that they have a health condition. Whatever challenges they face, with interruptions to the usual childhood activities of playing and spending time with friends, going to school, going on holiday, growing up and looking forward to the future – heart children often talk about how they want to be treated like other children. And with good planning, support and creative thinking, heart children can share in the range of activities most of us take for granted.

Working together to help heart children and their families

Member  organisations of Children's Heart Federation come together in Children’s Heart Week to raise awareness of the needs of heart children and their families.

Members of the public, businesses, schools and community groups can also help by:
• Making a donation at www.justgiving.com/heartweek
• Taking part in a ‘Big Surprise’ event.

Be part of the ‘Big Surprise’ in Children’s Heart Week, 8-16 May

Children’s Heart Federation invited everyone to be part of the ‘Big Surprise’ during Children’s Heart Week, 8-16 May. Click on the links below to find out what went on.

• Everyone was invited to the CHF National Teddy Bear’s Picnic on Sunday 16 May
• Anyone who could not make this date was invited to hold their own 'Teddy Bear’s Picnic'  in their local area or
• People were encourage to hold a 'Bring a Bear to Work/School' day to raise funds and awareness. 

You can find out what people were doing to mark Children's Heart Week 2010 by following this link.

Remember to let the CHF team know what you and or your group did to mark Children’s Heart Week 2010.

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