An Exciting Four Months

4th Annual Giving From the Heart Gala A Success

 

On Saturday, September 27^th Matthew’s Hearts of Hope hosted it’s  4^th Annual “Giving from The Heart” Gala at Anthony’s Lake Club In Danbury.  In total, almost $40,000 was raised to benefit babies and toddlers suffering with Congenital Heart Defects.  The evening kicked off with an exciting silent auction and Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums playing a heartfelt "Amazing Grace," a crowd favorite.  

Sherman’s own celebrity Joe Moravsky  aka "American Ninja Warrior Finalist" emceed the evening with his own brand of high energy.

Guest speaker Erica Venezia shared the emotional story of her daughter Faith who passed away on December 22^nd 2010 from complications of CHD.  

This moving talk was followed by Dr. Chelliah who spoke about the real impact that Matthew’s Hearts of Hope has had on a CHD Research Project that she worked on with Dr. Hannah Fraint. The project involved the creation of a 3 D Heart which helps surgeons to better plan complex surgeries on CHD babies and toddlers. One such baby, born on July 14,^th was spared a second open heart surgery as well as extended time on a bypass machine because of this funded project.  His mother sent a personal thank you message to everyone in attendance at the Gala. 

Matthew’s Hearts of Hope continues to have a BIG impact in the CHD World. We would like to thank all of our sponsors, donors and friends of Matthew’s Hearts of Hope as well as everyone who attended our wonderful evening of celebration. There are many worthy causes to support and we are grateful that so many have continued to open their hearts to support the ongoing efforts of Matthew's Hearts of Hope.

MHOH Fundraising Committee

MHOH Board of Directors

We will be posting  more pictures from the gala on our photo gallery shortly!  Thank you again for making this year's gala such a success.




September, 2014
Rhode Island  Implements Pulse Ox Testing Through Department of Health
Not only are we getting excited about our gala next week.  We have some more exciting news we would like to share with you!
Matthew's Hearts of Hope was just notified that the Rhode Island Department of Health finalized a regulation on August 12 that adds CCHD to the mandatory newborn screening panel.  The implementation/compliance date is July 1, 2015 – but all birthing hospitals have already adopted pulse ox as the standard of care.  
Those involved did not need to go the legislative route as we did in Connecticut and New York because the Department of Health already had the statutory authority to expand the newborn screening panel.   Great job Rhode Island!

August, 2014
Results of Matthew's Testing 
As many of you may already know, Matthew completed his cardiac catheritization on July 30th. Unfortunately, he has a narrowing at the Fontan site which will require another open heart surgery. Although we are nervous to have Matthew go through his 4th open heart surgery, we are very hopeful that all will go well. The surgery is scheduled for November but we will keep you updated as we get more information and thank you for your prayers. Each and every email, text, note, and Facebook "Like" has helped us feel your love and support. Thank you.

A Testament To MHOH 
As we were waiting for Matthew's testing to be completed, we had the opportunity to meet an amazing little baby who was directly impacted by what MHOH has accomplished with your support. Baby S was diagnosed with a complicated congenital heart defect. One of the Fellows that received a MHOH grant, Dr. Hannah Fraint, was able to create a 3D heart that assisted the surgeon in preparing for and completing the complicated surgery on Baby S. The result: the surgeon had the confidence to perform this complicated surgery because of this 3D heart model and they were able to correct the defect and save Baby S from going through a 2nd surgery. It does not get better than that folks. Your support helped to make this a reality. Thank you!!!!!!  

The Gift 
As I arrived home the other day, there was a package in front of my garage. I brought it inside and opened it. It was a gift for Matthew and it was sent to us by the Baby S's family with a note of thanks. In the note, they shared the following. "We don't know where to start - we want to express our thanks from the bottom of our hearts. You made all this happen. Your inner drive to help others in their time of need, directly affected the health and stability of our son. The 3D heart saved my son from precious time on bypass; and actually gave Dr. Bacha the clarity and courage he needed to proceed with the complex surgery which ultimately saved him from the second surgery. REMEMBER how forever grateful we are to your family,"  

We Did It! 
We are all overwhelmed with the energy that everyone put into our Facebook challenge for Matthew's 6th birthday. I would never have imagined that we could surpass our goal of 600 "Likes" and get to 1,000!!!! From the bottom of my heart and Matthew's half a heart, thank you. It really meant the world to us. If you have not liked our page, please do it today!