Cuddles the Koala is a plush stuffed animal that we designed for our toddlers and older patients to give them something to hold on to and snuggle with at the hospital. Many CHD kiddos have procedures later on in their life and sometimes even multiple surgeries as they get older, which leaves them with scars and incisions that many other kids do not have. Cuddles was created to give comfort to these children as they go thru what can often feel like the scariest times of their life in the hospital and also reminds them that their scars are beautiful!
Our goal: To give comfort to CHD kids going thru surgery at the hospital and offer a little companion for their recovery at home.
The Bella Bag is a gift of love from our foundation to families that have a newborn baby in the hospital battling congenital heart defects. All of the items in the bag provide comfort and essentials to the family as they begin what can often be a long stay in the hospital. Some families receive their diagnosis early and are prepared, while others may not find out the severity of the defect until after their child is born. Regardless of the situation, the Bella Bag has a significant place for these families as they try and find a home for all of their belongings. In addition to the convenience of having a bag for their own personal items, the Bella Bag also includes a homemade fleece blanket, triple insulated water bottle for hot/cold drinks, toiletry kits, coloring books, and a mini snuggle buddy for the tiniest of patients.
Our goal: To build a simple bag of essentials that will generate comforting smiles for CHD families, especially moms and dads!
Referenced Literature:
1.) Hoffman JL, Kaplan S. The incidence of congenital heart disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;39(12):1890-1900.
2.) Reller MD, Strickland MJ, Riehle-Colarusso T, Mahle WT, Correa A. Prevalence of congenital heart defects in Atlanta, 1998-2005. J Pediatr. 2008;153:807-13.
3.) Pediatrics. 2013 May;131(5):e1502-8. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-3435. Epub 2013 Apr 22.
4.) J Pediatr Health Care. 2010 Sep-Oct;24(5):318-25. doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2009.09.002. Epub 2010 Jan 6.
5.) van der Linde D, Konings EE, Slager MA, Witsenburg M, Helbing WA, Takkenberg JJ, et al. Birth prevalence of congenital heart disease worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol 2011;58:2241–2247.
Board of Directors:
President - Jason Bobay
Secretary - Laura Bobay
Treasurer - Donald Bobay
Heavenly Hearts Foundation © 2016 All Rights Reserved
A 501(c)(3) organization (EIN # 47-5628753)