Heart Support Australia & HeartKids join together in a strategic partnership to strengthen patient and carer support across all ages for those impacted by cardiovascular disease.
· Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of Australia’s biggest killers, affecting one in every six people[1] and accounting for more than 685,000 years[2] of healthy life lost in the past year alone
· Childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) is a major health issue nationally, with an estimated 2,400 babies born with a form of congenital heart disease each year and many more developing heart conditions during childhood. It is the most common congenital disorder in newborns affecting up to 1 in 100 births.3
Heart Support Australia and HeartKids have joined forces to ensure that all Australians and their families who are impacted with CVD have access to support and education resources across the entire lifespan of an individual.
This partnership aims for both organisations to collaborate and work with one another to raise awareness of CVD including CoHD by ensuring that all Australians are appropriately referred to each other’s support programs or education resources during their respective time in their life.
Heart Support Australia currently run 25+ peer support groups across the country providing valuable support to those adults impacted with heart disease who require longer term support, in addition to overseeing a unique hospital patient visitor program across 15-hospitals in Australian cities providing vital bedside support for those patients in hospital to assist them with their new heart disease diagnosis.
HeartKids provides practical support at every stage of the CoHD journey. With support informed by lived experience, HeartKids offer guidance through key milestones from diagnosis, hospital stays, schooling, and beyond, helping individuals families navigate the healthcare system and access the information and resources they need.
Dr Christian Verdicchio CEO of Heart Support Australia was thankful of this new partnership with HeartKids saying, “Heart Support Australia is so proud to partner and support amazing organisation such as HeartKids and the work they do to support both children and their families during such a difficult time in their lives. What HeartKids do is closely aligned to the work we do at Heart Support Australia where we provide support and educational resources for adults across Australia and therefore this partnership will allow both organisations to promote one another and refer people across our programs to ensure that all Australians no matter of their age in their life can have access to support and education when diagnosed with heart disease”.
Marcus Sandmann CEO of HeartKids stated “We are thrilled to partner with Heart Support Australia to strengthen support for Australians impacted by heart disease across their lifespan. Childhood-onset heart disease is a lifelong condition, and this collaboration ensures that individuals and families who have been supported by HeartKids during their early years can access more vital resources and community connections into adulthood. By working together, we can create a seamless journey of support, education, and advocacy for all Australians living with heart disease.”
For more information about Heart Support Australia or HeartKids visit www.heartsupport.org.au or www.heartkids.org.au
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For all media enquires please contact Heart Support Australia media@heartnet.org.au or HeartKids via their agency Neon Black tessa@neon.black
About Heart Support Australia
Heart Support Australia is the peak national body providing support and advocacy for Australians affected by heart disease thru peer support. We are a national consumer organisation providing support, encouragement, and education to heart disease patients and their families.
Established in 1989, our mission is to facilitate the transition from hospital to home and provide ongoing support for heart disease patients in Australia. Our goal is to stop secondary cardiac events and improve the lives of those living with heart disease in Australia.
About HeartKids
HeartKids is Australia’s leading charity supporting people impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD), providing vital care, advocacy, and connection for children, teens, adults, and their families. For over 40 years, we have worked to provide lifelong support and make a positive difference in the lives of the 250,000 Australians impacted by CoHD.
[1] https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/evidence-and-statistics/key-stats-cardiovascular-disease
[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Heart, stroke and vascular disease: Australian facts: Burden https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/impacts/burden-of-cvd.
3 https://www.heartkids.org.au/cohd-condition-types/


