Medical News Today
16 May 2008. Heart disease is the world's most common birth defect, affecting one in every 100 children. Without treatment, one third of these children die before their first birthday. In developed countries, children are typically diagnosed and treated at birth. Children's HeartLink, an international medical nonprofit, is reaching out and helping build sustainable pediatric cardiac programs in the underserved regions of the world, to help more children have the same opportunity. May 17 - 24, Children's HeartLink will be sending a team of volunteers from New York hospitals on a cardiac medical mission to Changchun, China, to provide advanced training and participate in lifesaving operations on needy children.
Last September at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, the Bracco/Children's HeartLink Initiative was recognized as it announced the commitment's estimated total value of $1,000,000. The partnership will provide life-saving training, equipment and direct patient funding to Jilin Heart Hospital, in Changchun, Jilin Province, China -- reaching more than 12,000 children in the next 3 years.
The project will involve the training of medical personnel at the Jilin Hospital in China. The Bracco/Children's HeartLink Initiative will reach an estimated 4,000 children a year with emphasis on improving the quality of care. "In China, congenital heart disease is the primary cause of death of infants. This Initiative has the ability to impact thousands of lives" said Elizabeth Bickel, President of Children's HeartLink.
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Those of us in the US are often so focused on how under-served our children are as well as the lack of awareness that it's often easy to forget how very lucky we are to have the facilities and care available, even if it is at a significant, life-changing cost... many in other countries do not. We're looking forward to seeing the results of this significant effort undertaken by Children's HeartLink!
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