Hearts Around the World: 11 Miles, 11 Stories, One Heart Path In May 2025, I walked 11 miles through the streets of Geneva to honor the millions of people living with childhood-onset heart conditions, Type 1 Diabetes, and other chronic conditions. But this walk was also deeply personal. Each mile carried a story, including some from my...
Heart Voices: Stories that Unite Us- Meet Dr. Matt Master 4 Videos Introduction 2:17 Patient Inspiration 1:32 Career Highlights 3:03 Role at Global ARCH 0:58 We know that real change starts with the people who dedicate their lives to it from patients, families, our clinical teams, and more. Dr. Matt Oster, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, is one of...
Finding My Calling in Pediatric Cardiology I'm a pediatric cardiologist in Namibia working for the Ministry of Health and Social Services. I'm also the founder of the Namibia National Children's Health Trust, which aligns with the Ministry of Health to try to provide accessible, affordable, equitable, safe, quality, timely, and sustainable care to everybody in Namibia.Choosing...
At Global ARCH, we are honored to work alongside some of the most dedicated and inspiring women in medicine who are shaping the future of childhood-onset heart disease care. For International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are excited to share the stories of some of the incredible leaders from our Medical Advisory...
My life has always been full—full of family, love, and activity. I raised four kids, one right after the other, while working a demanding job at the local school. I was always on the go, managing chaos at work and then coming home to the beautiful chaos of my children. Summers were spent at the...
A Life Turned Upside Down After spending two years in the USA as a postdoctoral researcher, I returned to my hometown, Kolkata, eager to live with my family and build my career here. Shortly after, I conceived and decided to wait until my baby was born before resuming work. I thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancy. Apart from gestational...
https://youtu.be/_qjzLGTg-_A Since it began in 1993, Somerville Heart Foundation has been helping people across the UK living with congenital heart disease. This patient organisation is dedicated to supporting those with CHD - from young people transitioning to adult services, through every life stage to those growing older.Providing a range of services and support including advocacy, communication,...
This profile is part of the Global ARCH Storytelling Series to celebrate our members, their personal stories, and the work they do to help others.I was a young mum and in a state of shock when I was told that my baby had a very major heart condition. It was a very tough journey, and I’ve cried...
I hope that training on rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease among health care providers improves so that it is as well recognized and treated as other health conditions. I also hope that we can get better information materials for community members and health workers, in different languages, in our healthcare facilities....
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...
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.