HeartKids is asking Australians to be a ‘sweetheart’ this February to help raise awareness and critical funding for kids and their families impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD).
According to the charity, an estimated 2400 Australian babies are born with CoHD, which includes any type of malformation of the heart, heart valves or major blood vessels which are present at birth. It’s said to be the most common congenital disorder in newborns affecting up to one in every 100 births, and for most there is no cure.
This year, for the first time, the Sweethearts for HeartKids campaign will run for the entire month of February, coinciding with International Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14 February) and Valentine’s Day.
During the campaign, which aims to raise $350,000, HeartKids will partner with major cities and communities to light up the sky, with major landmarks across Australia to be transformed with pink and blue lighting. These include the Bell Tower and Yagan Square in Western Australia, Story Bridge and Victoria Bridge in Queensland and The Adelaide Entertainment Centre in South Australia.
In a new initiative, Australians will also be able to ‘put some heart in your cart’, with the likes of Bega, Whitewings and Cupcake Central partnering with HeartKids. A portion of sales from certain products will go directly to the charity.
“Every three hours, a baby is born with CoHD; that’s eight children every single day,” says HeartKids CEO Marcus Sandmann.
“This February, we are asking Aussies to be a sweetheart for HeartKids and help HeartKids support Aussie families impacted by CoHD.
“Funds raised through our Sweethearts for HeartKids initiative will allow us to continue to make a life-long lasting impact including strengthening our Early Childhood Intervention programs and growing our support in remote and regional areas, raising awareness and generating more funding to help children, teens, adults and their families thrive.”
