Heart Centre for Children Blog

Lunch in the Heart of Sydney

Posted by Rebecca Henderson on 4 September 2023

Lunch in the Heart of Sydney Friday 29th September 2023 This year the Heart Centre for Children and Kids Heart Research are coordinating our first charity luncheon, Lunch in the Heart of Sydney. We invite you to join us for lunch at the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney, to learn more about our service and hear from families and clinicians. The event is being held to raise funds to help the Heart Centre for Children; update the essential equipment required to treat and care for critically ill babies and children, support our staff to provide world class care as well as support the work of Kids Heart Research. The Heart Centre team is loved and respected for their work and long history of commitment to the wellbeing of babies and children. As the largest centre for childhood heart disease in NSW, we provide clinical care for patients including complex procedures and run a world-class research programme. To purchase tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1068129 For ...

Posted in:Fundraisers Lunch

Rising Star Award

Posted by Clare Moody on 22 February 2022

We would like to congratulate Dr Gillian Blue from Kids Heart Research, Heart Centre for Children who was awarded the Rising Star Award at the 2021 Sydney Cardiovascular Symposium, for her outstanding contribution to Cardiovascular Research. The 2021 Symposium was dedicated to the innovative theme of cardiovascular remodelling and regeneration in research and clinical practice. This award recognises Gillian's work and research in understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease. Gillian is a Postdoctoral Scientist and Genetic Counsellor at the Heart Centre for Children, based at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. She is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Discipline of Genetic Medicine, The University of Sydney and a Visiting Scientist at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Her primary research interest is understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease using genomic technologies, as well as the associate...

Posted in:Awards Research Staff

Team Harley - City2Surf 2017

Posted by Kylie Flament on 27 June 2017

Mum Danielle puts it beautifully: "Why we started Team Harley: To raise awareness for Congenital Heart Disease in memory of our amazing little heart angel Harley and raise much needed funds to the one place that was our second home." Watch a short video of Danielle and Harley's story. Team Harley came together for the City2Surf 2016, raising $43,000 for the Heart Centre for Children. This year, they're aiming for $50,000, to purchase two ECG machines and some other items for our inpatient area, Edgar Stephen Ward. For more about Team Harley's efforts, head to the Team Harley Facebook Event page or, to donate, go straight to their EveryDayHero page. They're also hosting a Night for the Superheroes of the Edgar Stephen Ward.
Date: Saturday 5 August 2017
Time: From 6.30pm
Location: Riverstone Schofields Memorial Club
Tickets: $50
More information: See Facebook page (link above) or contact Danielle on 0424...

Posted in:Fundraisers Patients

Halor's story

Posted by Kylie Flament on 23 June 2017

One of our patients, Halor, was featured on The Children's Hospital at Westmead's Facebook page this week: "Born weighing just less than a bag of flour, Halor was a very little baby entering a very big world. Even smaller though was his tiny heart, which due to a serious heart condition, was working overtime to pump blood to the rest of his body. Surgery was vital to fix Halor's heart and is ultimately the reason, 11 years on; he is able to run the City2Surf. This August, Halor will be running as part of City2Surf - Team Bandaged Bear not only to give back to the doctors and nurses who helped him, but also to raise money for other children with heart conditions. You can go the distance #forsickkids too by registering as part of Team Bandaged Bear or by making a donation. Visit www.bandagedbear.org.au/event/city2surf"...

Posted in:Patients

Piloting a smartphone app

Posted by Kylie Flament on 12 May 2017

The Children's Hospital at Westmead will soon be piloting a new smartphone app that allows patients and families to see their upcoming appointments and, in future, to access important documentation and education. Some patients at the Heart Centre for Children will be invited to try this app starting from late May.

For more information, visit the My Health Memory overview on the SCHN website.

Posted in:Patients

From the Heart Study: It's not too late to be part of this important study!

Posted by Nina Klug on 2 February 2017

From the Heart is an Australia and New Zealand Fontan Registry research study open to children, young people and adults with a Fontan circulation, and their parents and siblings. The study is focused on better understanding the health, wellbeing and experiences of people of all ages with a Fontan circulation, as well as the experiences of their parents, brothers and sisters. The study is coordinated by Laura Mitchell at the Heart Centre for Children and the University of NSW in Sydney, in collaboration with the ANZ Fontan Registry and involves filling in one questionnaire at home. If you or your child are a part of the ANZ Fontan Registry and would like to know more about how to participate in this study, please contact Laura Mitchell on 1800 025 509 (free call from anywhere in Australia) or send an email to: fromtheheart@mcri.edu.au Click here to take a look at our latest study newsletter. Warmly,
Laura and the From the Heart study team ...

Posted in:Research Doctors Work Patients

Soccer marathon bigger and better than ever

Posted by Kylie Flament on 6 September 2016

The 5th annual 24-hour soccer marathon was held in Dural this weekend and the team far exceeded their fundraising goal, bringing in an incredible $105,000, to be shared between Neurology, the Cancer Centre and the Heart Centre for Children.

It was a fun day/night/day for everyone involved, and a good run-around for The Children's Hospital at Westmead's "kids vs adults" game between 2 and 4pm on Saturday. It was heartwarming to be part of such an active, inclusive event that has provided us with the funds to really make a difference to patients and families. This event just keeps getting better each year. We're already looking forward to what 2017 will bring.

Posted in:Fundraisers Staff Thank You's

Wagga Wagga spring cocktail party

Posted by Kylie Flament on 1 September 2016

The Bald and the Beautiful Spring Cocktail Party, being held in Wagga Wagga on 17 September, is a celebration and fundraiser for the Heart Centre, organised by a wonderful team of supporters including the parents of one of our patients.

We look forward to seeing some of our Wagga families there! Tickets available at https://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=211409

The group's fundraising page can be found at https://give.everydayhero.com/au/raising-money-for-the-heart-centre-for-children

Posted in:Fundraisers

City2Surf 2016

Posted by Kylie Flament on 15 August 2016

Harley would have been incredibly proud of his family and friends this weekend as they walked or ran the City2Surf along with over 80,000 others, and raised a huge $43,000 to support the Heart Centre for Children. Sadly Harley passed away earlier this year, but his Mum Danielle wanted to do something to help other kids with heart disease, so she channelled her energy into fundraising. Here are some photos of the Harley is My Heart Hero (Heart Centre for Children) team from yesterday's 14km race: Harley is My Heart Hero team at the start line Awards for the highest individual fundraiser (for Harley's Mum, Danielle) and the highest team fundraiser. Harley's big brother, Bailey, and his friend Josh at the start line Harley was very much in everyone's thoughts as the sun shone down on the City2Surf 2016 At the end of the race, balloons were released into the sky with m...

Posted in:Fundraisers Thank You's

Congenital Heart Health

Posted by Kylie Flament on 9 August 2016

National standards need to be developed for mental health care in congenital heart disease (CHD) to help address the significant emotional toll of diagnosis and treatment. In a perspective published in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia A/Prof. Nadine Kasparian from the Heart Centre for Children at The Children's Hospital at Westmead outlines how the need for an integrated approach incorporating physical and mental health is crucial to 'congenital heart health'. CHD affects more than 2,400 babies in Australia each year. It is the leading cause of infant death and one of the leading causes of diseaserelated disability in children under five. Although advances in medicine have drastically improved the survival rate, they bring a range of new challenges including complex treatment choices and the need to transition from paediatric to adult cardiac services. Children with CHD and their families are also more vulnerable to ongoing physical and mental heal...

Posted in:Research

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