Congenital Heart Disease Advocacy Toolkit: How You Can Help
As a family member or friend of a child with congenital heart disease (CHD), or just someone who cares about kids’ health, you have an incredible voice: your own.
We want the public to be more aware of the journeys of the more than 1 million children worldwide who are born with heart disease each year. Engaging and educating the public about CHD — and the need for lifelong care that children with these conditions face — is a crucial step toward improving access to care, increasing funding for scientific research and education programs, and passing laws that will allow for crucial early diagnosis and treatment.
Want to help us get the message out? Here’s how you can make a difference
Learn about CHD
The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be to help raise awareness about CHD — and raise funds for the cause. Get the facts about CHD »
Share your heart story
Every heart has a story – and we want to hear yours! We encourage families who have a child with CHD to share their stories on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else by using the tag #HeartStory. Sharing stories about children with congenital heart disease goes a long way in raising awareness about these conditions.
Spread the word
Get people talking about congenital heart disease when you share information with your friends, family and colleagues.
- Share our infographic online
- Download this social network profile photo to share with your connections on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites
Make a donation
As a nonprofit organization, CHOP relies on donations to fund the medical advances that make our heart stories possible. Behind each breakthrough and every groundbreaking service is the generous support of our donors. Help us make a difference in the lives of children with congenital heart disease by making a donation to the Cardiac Center.
To learn more about other ways you and/or your organization can provide CHOP with vital support, please contact Susie Wallach, Director of Development, at 267-426-6532 or WALLACHS@email.chop.edu
Raise funds
There are several ways you can become personally involved in raising money for the Cardiac Center.
- Start an online fundraising page
- Run a race as a member of Team CHOP
- Organize a community fundraising event at your child's school or with a local business
Learn more about how you can fundraise for the Cardiac Center »
Advocate: Speak up for children with CHD
Sharing your story with elected officials can help create change. As citizens, we have the ability to change laws, including those that affect children. We can do this by voicing our concerns to our legislators — writing letters, making phone calls and/or speaking in front of committees.
The following websites can help you identify and learn how to contact your legislators:
- Pennsylvania: www.legis.state.pa.us
- New Jersey: www.njleg.state.nj.us
- Delaware: http://www.delaware.gov
- To learn the names of your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative, go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov