“Beats and Rhythms is an incredible organization whose impact reaches beyond the walls of the hospital to touch the community. As the mom of a heart warrior, Beats and Rhythms provided my husband and me a network of support even before our son was born.

When we found out about his heart diagnosis, we applied to be part of the Heart to Heart program. This paired us with the mother of another heart warrior with the same diagnosis as our son. She helped answer our questions about day-to-day life with our son and his heart in a way that the healthcare professionals could not because they have not lived it. During our time in the hospital, members of the Beats and Rhythms team would check in with us to catch up on our son’s progress and check on how we were coping as parents who were spending months on end in the hospital.

Fellow parents would also check on us, visit us, and even provided us with a Cardiac Bag full of fun, heart-themed items, as well as practical items that we could use in the hospital.”

“Our son, Isaac, passed away but the Beats and Rhythms community continues to be our community and our friends. When Isaac passed, the mother we were connected with through the Heart to Heart program came from out of town to Isaac’s funeral service -- it was the first time I had ever met her in person, and it was so touching that she continued to support us. Other members of the Beats and Rhythms team continue to check in on us and have even become dear friends. I feel like we are still a part of the community even though our son is no longer with us on Earth. It has been comforting to still have contact with our Beats and Rhythms friends even after Isaac’s passing because I will forever identify with the heart community even though our circumstances have changed, and Beats and Rhythms have validated my feelings by maintaining connections with us.”

“The work that Beats and Rhythms does in the community, including some of their main events like Cardiac Camp and the Heart Party are examples of other significant ways that this organization makes a lasting impact outside of the hospital. Children with severe medical diagnoses, such as Congenital Heart Disease, are often very limited in what they can do to make them feel as similar to their peers as possible. Cardiac Camp provides these children an opportunity to participate in an exciting, “normal” childhood activity in a safe way. The Heart Party event provides cardiac kids the opportunity to present their world to the greater community. During this exciting event, cardiac kids have the opportunity to expand their understanding of their own heart disease through activities such as an “echo your heart bear” station where children can use real echocardiogram equipment to perform an echo on a bear that becomes theirs. It is an incredible opportunity for patients to take ownership of their treatment to help reduce fear and anxiety while providing the community with a little view of the heart world.”