THE only organisation positioned to provide comprehensive support to families affected by Childhood Heart Disease has recently secured funding from Port City Bowling Club through the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council club grants scheme.
HeartKids NSW has been given $2340 to assist families with children who have heart disease.
“We are very pleased to have been selected to receive a Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Club grant,” HeartKids CEO David Rose said. “This invaluable support will help us better serve families in the area.”
He urged families in the Hastings region affected by childhood heart disease to contact them to access the support.
“Childhood Heart Disease (CHD) is alarmingly prevalent, affecting one in 100 children,” Mr Rose said.
“Yet, despite its prevalence, for the many families dealing with the painful challenges which CHD presents, their journey with the disease can seem frightfully lonely.
“This is where HeartKids NSW comes in. Through a range of programs, we assist heart families to cope well with the realities of CHD. Our support helps ensure that families are not alone.”
HeartKids started around three decades ago as a grassroots group of passionate heart parents determined to help others on the CHD path.
Now a fully fledged non-profit organisation, HeartKids NSW delivers all of its support programs via its family support co-ordinators – who all have had a child face battles with CHD.
“Having staff who relate personally with the challenges that CHD brings means that we can really reach out to heart families from a place of genuine empathy,” Mr Rose said.
Families in the Port Macquarie-Hastings who wish to access HeartKids NSW support are asked to complete the membership form available at www.heartkidsnsw.org.au (under support for families). Membership is free.
