On May 21, Menudos Corazones Foundation organized the "Day for the Visibility" to recognize the rights of people with congenital heart disease and their families, at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, Spain. At the event they launched “Menudos Corazones - Decalogue for patients with congenital heart disease and their families”, with the following 10 goals...
Tendai Moyo, founder of Brave Little Hearts Zimbabwe, is an active member the Global ARCH Board of Directors. She joined to help raise awareness about congenital heart disease (CHD) and the devastating impact it can have on families struggling to find lifesaving medical care for their babies with CHD. A race against time to save "Rudo" In...
Brave Little Hearts South Africa (BLHSA) is a support and advocacy group for parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). BLHSA strives to raise awareness of CHD by facilitating and implementing support programmes for families with CHD, and advocacy by creating platforms in the medical field for engagement concerning critical CHD matters. BLHSA also...
What is the main goal of the Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation? OHHF’s central goal focuses on the Take Heart Initiative to cultivate an equitable standard of care that centers the voices of every person and family affected by childhood onset heart disease in collaboration with clinicians and health systems by empowering and educating caregivers, building confidence...
One year ago, Global ARCH lost a guiding light. Noemi de Stoutz was a trailblazer and dedicated champion of CHD advocacy and support. Born in Switzerland with complex CHD, Noemi survived far beyond expectations. Despite her limitations, she spent her life helping others as a palliative oncology physician. She was forced to retire early due to...
This webinar highlights the global burden of disease for congenital and rheumatic heart disease and the challenge of accessing treatment in low- and middle-income countries. It also introduces the Call to Action campaign, which will be introduced at the 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) in August, 2023. The webinar presenters...
CHD Awareness Day recap Every February 7-14 patient and family advocates around the world participate in Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Awareness Week. It is a time to raise awareness of CHD in their local communities. Global ARCH and Children’s HeartLink are two leading childhood-onset heart disease advocacy organizations that work to improve lifelong outcomes worldwide. What is CHD? CHD...
1. What would you suggest to parents of CHD children when it comes to building resiliency so that mental health issues can be addressed early? I’d like to first say that I have a great deal of respect for parents and caregivers of children with CHD – I recognize how stressful their own experiences can be...
Comparable to the condition when wind blows and we get random thoughts, alike human emotions are effected by outer elements. The stigmas of society some way disturb us; moving us away from our own planned paths. Though life is full of uncertainties, we still believe we are best in making decisions. Ignoring the fact that...
Nahimeh Jaffar has worked as a certified Project Manager (PMP) in various fields, including Public Health, Biotech, and Pharmaceuticals, working within clinical settings such as hospitals and clinics. In addition, she worked with global communities in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, supporting various social impact projects. Ms. Jaffar has been involved in preventive health initiatives in collaboration with the Center for Disease Control (CDC, USA) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, USA).
Ms. Jaffar holds an MBA in Business Development from the Swiss Institute of Higher Management, Vevey, Switzerland, and a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Affairs from California State University, Northridge, USA.
Amy Verstappen has been a patient advocate and health educator since 1996, when her own challenges living with a complex heart defect led her to the Adult Congenital Heart Association, where she served as president from 2001 to 2013. She has served as an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and the International Society for Adult Congenital Cardiac Disease, and worked with congenital heart patient and professional groups throughout the USA and the world. Ms. Verstappen received a Masters in Education in 1990 and a Masters in Global Health in 2019.