Dear Heart Friends:
Since 2000, the World Heart Federation has instituted September 29th as World Heart Day which is a day around the globe to inform people that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death. This year the theme for World Heart Day is Take the Road to a Healthy Heart. http://www.world-heart-federation.org/what-we-do/awareness/world-heart-day/about-world-heart-day/
Although this effort does not necessarily highlight congenital heart defects, it still brings awareness to a very important issue -- we only have one heart and we have to keep it healthy! This is even more important for those of us who have children who were born with less-than-perfect hearts. In addition to having congenital heart disease, our children can also develop acquired heart disease. It's our job as advocates of the heart, to encourage people to take a road to a healthier heart -- walking, exercising, eating right and just generally reducing stress in our lives. All of these actions taken together will ensure that everyone has a healthier, happier heart.
I love how they created a flyer to encourage children to exercise. I especially love how the hero has a cape and a costume depicting the heart. It's very cute. The flyer/poster also has the character telling fast food to "beat it"! It encourages playing soccer instead of being a couch potato. These are all images children need to see and hold dear.
Go to the link above for an excellent infographic on congenital and acquired heart disease. They really did a good job of showing, in a pictorial way, how your heart can be affected from birth and throughout one's lifetime. It gives statistics on many heart issues, including that 1,000,000 babies are born annually with congenital heart defects worldwide. This is too large a number to ignore!
I hope all of you had a wonderful World Heart Day and that you all treat each and every day as a chance to celebrate the heart you have and follow the road to a healthy heart.
Please visit Baby Hearts Press at http://www.babyheartspress.com for resources for the congenital heart defect community.
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