This is a well organized, well run, nonprofit that addresses a serious and seriously unrecognized issue--the importance or early detection and diagnosis of congenital heart defects.
Hole in the Heart is working to make a difference in the awareness and treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) within New Mexico. As a mental health professional, I have witnessed Hole in the Heart work passionately to increase the public and professional awareness of the long-term emotional impact that CHD can have on an individual and family, such as the development of PTSD, anxiety and depression, and the overall need for proactive treatment and support from providers. This additional information can be life changing for those going through the fear, sadness and stress of a CHD experience. They are going great things!!
Sandra Fahrlender and her husband Bob saw a need in the community for early childhood heart screenings. Based on their personal experience with their son, they decided to start a nonprofit to educate and empower families. Their vision is forward thinking and as they grow so will their impact on families and their children.
Hole in the Heart is a non profit organization that serves to educate and promote awareness about an issue that is close to the founders own hearts. Their experience made them realize that other parents need to be made aware of this issue—they found a vital piece of children’s healthcare that was missing, and vowed to work towards raising awareness about holes in the heart so that other parents would know what to look for, and so that health care providers could help diagnose the issue sooner. I have learned a great deal from the founders of this important cause, and am honored to know them.
Sandra and I found Hole in the Heart to share the story of our son, in hope of helping others. Our mission is 3-fold: 1) Promote awareness to patients and caregivers about congenital heart defects, and Holes in the Heart - What to look for, what to ask, what to expect; 2) Partner towards improvement in the cohesiveness/continuum of care - your child may be seen by many providers across many specialties (Pulmonology, Cardiology, Neurology, etc) - rarely does each take the time to understand the wholistic implications of the defect/disease - it is up to the patient/parent to connect the dots; 3) Advocate for the inclusion of early heart screenings as part of child wellness visits - the most effective diagnostic tool of identifying a CHD, or Hole in the Heart -despite many false positives (pulse oximetry, ekg, listening to the heart via stethoscope) - is by Echocardiogram.
I knew a baby named Scottie who had a big scar down his sternum. I asked why he had it. His parents said he was born with a hole in his heart and had surgery to correct the condition. Thank gosh that it was identified and quickly corrected. With this condition corrected, he eventually became a fighter pilot for the Navy/Marines. This condition is fairly common but is not always identified quickly. That is what Hole In The Heart strives to do. Through education, communication and any means possible so that individuals are not adversely affected through their lives. Please consider donating.
Sincerely,
George Olson
We have friends who live out of state and were able to quickly and effectively get treatment for their child with a hole in his heart. And we have friends who live here in New Mexico, who spent a great deal of time, energy and expense seeking to get the right treatment for their son who has the same condition. It should be easy and affordable for New Mexicans to identify a heart issue, just as it is for families in other states. We seek to take care of our children and give them an equal chance to have an abundant and bright future!
My childhood best friend and his wife had no idea what they were in for when their son was born. Being their first child, they knew sleepless nights, crying, changing diapers, and potty training would be the new normal. What they could have never imagined was their newborn son being diagnosed with an atrial septal defect in his heart. Fortunately for them, their doctors detected the hole right away but wanted to wait until 12 months of age before doing surgery. After close monitoring and regular appointment, the hole in his heart required immediate attention and surgery at just 11 months. Thankfully their son has grown to experience a normal childhood and even ran a ½ marathon. Yes, he continues to see his cardiologist more regularly than most, but he is a happy, adventurous, and healthy high schooler!
My dear friends were fortunate to catch the defect at birth and correct it; many other families aren't so lucky. So many families go to hundreds of doctor appointments, spending tens of thousands trying to understand what's happening to their children. An Echo Cardiogram is a relatively inexpensive way to detect such issues and should be more widely used in childhood wellness checks. Being on the board of Hole-In-The-Heart will allow us to bring awareness, and more importantly, advocate for early heart defect detection in children and young adults. This simple test could save millions on our healthcare system and allow other children to experience a normal childhood, like my dear friends' son.
Wanted to let everyone know this is a wonderful nonprofit group. A lot of hard work and dedication has been put into bringing awareness to being born with a Hole in a child’s heart. Many children go undetected for many years. It’s not until something serious sets in to make drs take a closer look at the heart.
My own sister was born with three holes in her heart. Unfortunately it was not caught on time and she passed after a year of life. So I fully support this organization and the work that has been put into it. I’m proud to be a board member. I pray the Lord will lead us in this endeavor to get to these children early, so that they may LIVE life. ♥️
Hole in the heart was started with the truest, heartfelt intent. The Fahrlender‘s, who run it alongside their board are ethical, upstanding and passionate about this issue. By combining research, and awareness, they will make a difference in their efforts I have no doubt.
What an honor it is to serve as a board member here. Having been a nurse for over 28 years and spending 17 of those years in the pediatric intensive care unit, the desire to help the children in New Mexico lead stronger, healthier lives is near and dear to my heart. The fact that the founders have a personal experience that has motivated them to begin this nonprofit, to put in all the long hours and hard work, truly makes this effort stronger. So come on! Join us in this endeavor. Together we can make a difference♥️♥️