When your child's heartbeat is a symphony laced with irregularities, every moment becomes a measure of uncertainty. This is the world heart moms like myself, Anna Jaworski, and my guest Kelsi Rogers live in every day. Join us as we peel back the curtain on the mental marathon of raising children with congenital heart defects (CHD). Our raw conversation plunges into the depths of hypervigilance, the delicate nature of our children's health, and the language that both describes and defines their conditions. Sharing from our hearts, we expose the often-unspoken mental toll of the constant fear and the struggle to find a semblance of normality while fiercely protecting our children's lives.

The battle doesn't end with personal struggles; the war against CHD is fought on the frontlines of research and advocacy as well. In this heartfelt exchange, Kelsey and I explore the gap in CHD research funding and the misleading statistics that mask the true prevalence of these heart conditions. We dissect the critical need for comprehensive newborn cardiac screening to catch these silent afflictions early, recounting stories that underscore the urgency and importance of this cause. Our plea for increased education and advocacy rings clear, with a hope to catalyze change in how CHD research and screening practices are approached and executed.

Concluding on a note of hope, we cast a light on initiatives forging paths towards groundbreaking treatments, including the exciting prospects of in-utero solutions and the creation of privacy-preserving registries for targeted research through HeartWorks. By sharing personal anecdotes, we underscore the severity of electrical heart issues and rally for greater support and recognition. It's not just a podcast; it's a community coming together every Tuesday at noon Eastern time, sharing a commitment to empower and support the CHD community. Your participation breathes life into our mission, reinforcing the collective heartbeat of families touched by congenital heart disease.

Links mentioned in this podcast:

HeartFelt: https://www.facebook.com/heartfeltscreening
Tiny Tickers Trot: https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/CA/Chico/TinyTickersTrot

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna--1256958/support.

HeartWorks: https://www.hlhsconsortium.org/heartworks/