Every four hours a baby in Australia is born with a heart defect
It’s known as congenital heart disease or CHD and is one of the leading causes of death among infants in Australia.
For the survivors, the battle ahead can be tough. Little Heart Warrior Inayah had to undergo five heart surgeries and a heart transplant – all before she turned five.
We’re so close to creating a better future for families across Australia – one that could potentially prevent many thousands of babies being born with congenital heart disease.
Your tax-deductible donation today could help us achieve that by funding the next crucial stage – clinical trials. But we urgently need to raise at least $396,500.
Please will you stand with Heart Warriors like Inayah across Australia and the world by making a gift.
Mihoko Koizumi just donated $10- Mrs. Jill Mary McGowan just donated $31.65
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Around 260,000 children die each year from congenital heart disease (CHD) worldwide
46 babies are born with CHD every week in Australia
70% of babies born with CHD will need surgery within the first year of their life
Right now, there are an estimated 65,000 children and adults living with CHD in Australia
Together, with research, we can protect tiny hearts
Incredibly there could a simple answer to preventing some cases of congenital heart disease.
Professor Sally Dunwoodie AO and her team have made an extraordinary discovery which not only pinpointed one of the causes of CHD, they also found a solution.
Clinical studies have shown a deficiency in a vital molecule called NAD during pregnancy could cause heart defects and repeated miscarriages. Not only that, our researchers found an affordable and accessible vitamin B3 supplement could treat and prevent these cases entirely.
It’s a giant step forward in a disease where an astonishing 80 percent of causes remain unknown.
The team has just completed a clinical study of 250 women – funded almost entirely by generous donors like you.
The next exciting phase of this world-first research will involve a large-scale clinical trial involving 1000 women– but for that to happen we need your help.
Your donation will help us complete the next phase, with your help we will...
Stage 1
Recruit 1000 women for a large-scale clinical trial
Stage 2
Identify women with low NAD levels who are at risk of birth defects and miscarriage
Stage 3
Establish what dose of vitamin B3 is required to return NAD levels to normal
Stage 4
Measure the effects of vitamin B3 supplementation on NAD levels in pregnant women with low NAD
Help Inayah create a better future for children like her
Heart Warrior Inayah may have just turned six, but she already knows what she wants to do when she grows up. Her dream is to be a heart doctor to help other heart kids.
We share that dream and hope you do too. Together we can help prevent heartbreak for families around the world.
“Our family has been through so much. We are so hopeful that research will deliver a better future for other families and that one day there might be a way to prevent congenital heart disease.”
- Jay, Inayah's mum
CHD affects thousands of Australians - all Heart Warriors
Meet Ollie...
Seven year old Ollie loves art, feeding ducks at the local park, and always has a big smile on his face.
This little battler has survived two open-heart surgeries just to be here today.
He’ll still need another open-heart surgery and regular check-ups. While this Heart Warrior doesn’t let it keep him down, research is the key to preventing CHD for kids like Ollie.
Meet Lisa...
For people like Lisa, congenital heart disease (CHD) is a lifelong condition. Lisa had surgery as a child to fix her damaged heart, only to suffer from a faulty heart valve many years later.
She's survived it all - a true Heart Warrior - and today, advocates for more heart research to prevent others in the future battling this often-lifelong condition.
Will you stand with our Heart Warriors and help prevent CHD?
Thank you to our incredible community
Mihoko Koizumi
Mrs. Jill Mary McGowan
For Michael.. RIP..
