St. Jude Medical & Mended Little Hearts Unveil The Mended Little HeartGuide, a Comprehensive Guidebook for Families of Kids w...
September 23 2015 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
New resource aims to provide resources to
families through every step of their journey
Over 1 million babies worldwide are born each year with
congenital heart defects (CHD) – the most common birth defect and
the most common cause of infant death from birth defects. This
diagnosis leads families on a frightening journey of decisions,
emotions and often multiple surgeries, provoking a myriad of
questions, often with minimal guidance and few answers. Because the
need for information and answers is so great, the non-profit Mended
Little Hearts and global medical device manufacturer, St. Jude
Medical, Inc., today announced they have joined together to create
The Mended Little HeartGuide, a comprehensive digital Guidebook for
parents and families of children with heart conditions.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150923005449/en/
Multiple studies have shown that families that have a child with
CHD experience a range of emotions and financial distress, at a
time when they should be experiencing the joy that comes with
parenthood. In one study, parents and caregivers of children with
CHDs who required surgery within four weeks of birth were shown to
be at a higher risk for feelings of distress, particularly the
mothers of these children.1 These caregivers reported excessive
worry (51.3 percent), financial difficulties (41 percent) and
feelings of sadness or desperation (25.6 percent), among many other
challenges.2
The Mended Little HeartGuide was written for parents and
caregivers by parents, caregivers and medical professionals who
understand the daunting challenges these parents will face. The
Guidebook covers more than thirty topics ranging from prenatal
diagnosis to hospitalization, and then care when the child comes
home from the hospital. The Guidebook empowers families with
knowledge and the tools that will help them to cope.
The Mended Little HeartGuide guide can be viewed or downloaded
online beginning today at www.mendedlittleheartguide.org.
“I know firsthand how frightening and overwhelming it can be to
have a child with a heart defect, and how critical it is to have
immediate, current and accurate information to help navigate this
journey,” said Jodi Lemacks, national program director of Mended
Little Hearts, who is also the mother of a child living with a
heart defect. “We are so pleased that St. Jude Medical shares our
commitment to children with heart defects and was willing to share
this project with us; we hope this comprehensive resource will
serve as in important tool to help parents and caregivers navigate
the CHD diagnosis.”
Despite the large numbers of babies worldwide born with a CHD,
many children are treated with adult-sized devices, which may not
be optimal. St. Jude Medical and the U.S. Food & Drug
Administration (FDA) have long recognized the need for solutions
and educational resources to support pediatric patients.
“At St. Jude Medical, we are keenly aware of the impact that
having a child with congenital heart defects can have on families,”
said Dr. Mark Carlson, vice president of global clinical affairs
and chief medical officer at St. Jude Medical. “Through our
partnership with Mended Little Hearts and the introduction of this
innovative new resource, we are expanding our ability to support
parents and caregivers of children with CHD and furthering our
commitment to the community while we continue our efforts to
develop safe and effective medical devices to fit children’s
growing hearts.”
About Mended Little Hearts
Mended Little Hearts plays a significant role in the lives of
families with children diagnosed with CHDs. Through its support
group meetings, health education to communities, advocacy for
policy and one-on-one visits from parents who have endured the same
journey, the organization provides answers for families learning
their child will receive a life-saving medical device or procedure.
Mended Little Hearts is a program of The Mended Hearts Inc., a
non-profit, volunteer-based organization providing hope, help and
healing to heart patients and their families since 1951. The Mended
Little Hearts program works nationally and in communities to
support children with congenital heart defects and their families.
Learn more at mendedlittlehearts.org.
About St. Jude Medical
St. Jude Medical is a market leader in the research, design and
development of electrophysiology and interventional cardiology
solutions for pediatric patients worldwide. The company’s
mechanical heart valves have long been the gold standard for
replacing a failing heart valve and in February, St. Jude Medical
announced the launch of the HALO U.S. IDE clinical trial for
pediatric patients in need of mitral valve replacement. St. Jude
Medical is a global medical device manufacturer dedicated to
transforming the treatment of some of the world’s most expensive
epidemic diseases. The company does this by developing
cost-effective medical technologies that save and improve lives of
patients around the world. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., St.
Jude Medical has four major clinical focus areas that include
cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular and
neuromodulation. For more information, please visit sjm.com or
follow us on Twitter @StJudeMedicalIR.
For more information on the partnership and St. Jude Medical’s
commitment to pediatric cardiology, visit sjm.com/weheartkids.
Unless otherwise noted, ™ indicates that the name is a trademark
of, or licensed to, St. Jude Medical or one of its subsidiaries.
ST. JUDE MEDICAL and the nine-squares symbol are trademarks and
service marks of St. Jude Medical, Inc. and its related companies.
©2015 St. Jude Medical, Inc. All rights reserved.
1 Hearps, S., McCarthy, M., Muscara, F., Hearps, S.J., Burke,
B., Anderson, V. Psychosocial risk in families of infants
undergoing surgery for a serious congenital heart disease,
Cardiology in the Young 2014; 24: 632-639.
2 Hearps, S., McCarthy, M., Muscara, F., Hearps, S.J., Burke,
B., Anderson, V. Psychosocial risk in families of infants
undergoing surgery for a serious congenital heart disease,
Cardiology in the Young 2014; 24: 632-639.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150923005449/en/
St. Jude MedicalKate Stoltenberg,
651-756-3388kstoltenberg@sjm.comorMended Little HeartsJodi Lemacks,
804-419-7028Jodi.Lemacks@mendedlittlehearts.org
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