“With the significant number of children born with Congenital Heart Disease and the importance of this issue, the colossal job accomplished by the Brave Heart Fund is worth supporting”, said Minister of Public Health, H.E. Dr Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh at the Brave Heart Fund press conference held at the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel and in the presence of Movie Director Nadine Labaki.
The conference launched the 5th annual awareness campaign by the Brave Heart Fund in cooperation with the Children’s Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC).
In addition to its fund-raising activities, the Brave Heart Fund launches a campaign each year to bring attention to the devastating impact of congenital heart defects on infants, children, teens and their families and to raise awareness about the need for more education, support services, research funding and enhance standards of care for Congenital Heart Disease patients.
This year’s campaign highlights the fact that, with proper treatment, up to 98 % of children born with congenital heart disease can recover to lead normal healthy lives. The campaign, designed to resemble an ad for a sale, uses the words “Save 98%” imposed over an image of newborn babies, with a tag line that says “Don’t save money, save lives”.
The importance of such public service announcements is reflected in the numbers; In Lebanon alone, more than 700 babies are diagnosed with heart disease every year. About 400 of these children will need some form of treatment, either surgical intervention or non-surgical procedures. If left untreated 70% of those children will not survive, however, the Brave Heart Fund has seen an enormous growth in the number of patients it has been able to help since it was established in 2003.
Mrs. Joumana Ghandour Atallah, one of the Fund’s founding members, illustrated this growth; In 2009, 248 surgeries were covered, compared to 195 surgeries in 2008, representing a 25% increase in cases in just one year.
Dr. Fadi Bitar, Director of the Children’s Heart Center at the American University of Beirut and Brave Heart Fund founding member explained that although it handles some of the most complex cases in the region, the survival rates at the Children’s Heart Center can be compared to the most advanced centers in the world. “The medical team is highly specialized and the clinical services provided are among the most advanced as compared to the region and international standards”, he states. “For very complex cases, world- renowned pediatric cardiology surgeons visit the center every few months”.
Dr. Bitar also pointed out that the Center is among the few in the world that are also conducting research on congenital heart disease through international funds, “a fact that will help us understand the relatively new field of pediatric cardiology in order to someday hopefully provide prevention and early intervention”, he added; This data will later on be used for better screening and possibly intervention during pregnancy at the genetic level.
Nadine Labaki stated that her engagement with the Brave Heart Fund was a strong belief that civil society has an important role to play in joining efforts to support the treatment of Congenital Heart Disease.
The Fund assists patients from all locations in Lebanon, and many international patients living in Lebanon and the region. It has worked consistently with very low overheads and been able to ensure that no needy patient is turned away.
However there is always more that can be done. Events already planned for 2010 include a Gala Dinner in Beirut on May 10th and another fundraiser in Riyadh on November 3rd.
In addition, this year two special Lebanese individuals have pledged to support the Brave Heart Fund in their own way. Mountain climber Ralph Baz desert runner Ali Wehbe have both volunteered to raise the profile of the BHF through their extreme sports events around the world. Ali Wehbe was present at press conference just a few hours before leaving to Australia to participate in the 250 km race ‘Racing the Planet Australia 2010’. He will dedicate his run to the Brave Heart Fund.
