Congenital Heart Defects Families Association

About

The Congenital Heart Defects Families Association is a 503(c) not-for-profit dedicated to providing support to Kansas City heart families.

We directly support our Kansas City heart families through support groups, family activities all year, care packages for inpatient families, and handmade blankets for inpatient heart kids, our Children's Mercy inpatient fund, and CHD Families Camp Systole. Indirectly, we support Kansas City heart families and kids by donating money to Children's Mercy hospital for research, providing gift baskets to CMH Cardiology for doctors'/nurses' day, and raising for the American Heart Association money through our large Heart Walk team for CHD research within the Midwest Affiliate. ​ We also have a very activity satelite group in the Wichita, Kansas area and provide support to families throughout Kansas and Missouri.

Kansas City’s Camp Systole

In September 2013, the Congenital Heart Defects Families Association revived Kansas City’s Camp Systole, a camp for children with congenital heart defects.  Camp Systole provides a safe environment for these children to experience the fun of camp. Doctors and nurses volunteer to take care of children’s medical needs, and also lead scavenger hunts, swim with the kids, and participate in activities. Children build relationships with their doctors and nurses while they meet other kids just like them.

The Congenital Heart Defects Families Assn. Camp Systole is free for all the children attending.

“If your child is inpatient, or has an upcoming heart surgery at ​Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, you can request a care package from CHD Families. We do our best to honor each request.”