This week is the Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Week.... 7-14 February! Coincidentally it starts on Luca's birthday and it goes all the way to Valentine's day...In honor of this week, I will share some information with you regarding CHD's that most of us are not aware of... Below information taken from "The Mason Family" blog (http://masonfamilyupdate.blogspot.com/):
*CHDs are the #1 birth defect and the #1 cause of infant death related to birth defects. 1 in every 100 babies born will have a CHD (1 in every 800-1000 babies born has Downs Syndrome).
*1 in 10 of those born with a CHD will have a fatal defect.
*In the US there are nearly twice as many deaths due to CHDs than that of all forms of childhood cancers combined. Yet there is 5 times more research for pediatric cancer than for CHDs.
*The cost of inpatient surgery alone for CHDs exceeds 2.2 billion dollars per year.
*There are approximately 35 known Congenital Heart Defects.
*Causes for CHDs are still being studied. While there is no known definitive cause, it is said that both genetics and environmental factors can play a role. Scientists have actually identified over 100 mutations that are directly linked to the heart.
*There is no known cure for CHDs. However, the mortality rate after surgery has significantly decreased in the past 20-30 years. On average it is about 5% compared to the 30% it was. At the same time, the rate of incidence of CHDs has remained unchanged.
*With advances in medicine, many of those born with a CHD will have their first and sometimes only corrective surgery before age 2.
*Many of those living with a CHD go on to lead normal to near normal lives. Those with complex CHDs will also go on to lead longer and more active lives than before. Most will have some physical limitations, but almost all learn to move pass them.
*Only about 30% of the children who need a heart transplant receive one in time.
*About 40,000 units of blood are used every day yet only about 5% of the adults, the only ones who are eligible to donate blood, do so. Someone needs blood every three seconds in the United States; that someone is often one of our heart children
Here is a video that Shannon Mason (another heart mom here in So. Cal.) put together to help build CHD awareness where Luca's picture and information is included...enjoy! Don't forget to hit the pause buttom on the music below to hear the video...
Here I was waiting for my friends to arrive and it was the 1st time that my mom actually let me touch the grass... at first it felt a bit weird but then I liked it...
Auntie Cheryl brought this cool ball that I enjoyed playing with...
And they took off crawling as fast as the speed of light... ;o)
At home preparing to go to the park...but I am not enjoying this hat... I don't like hats at all...they normally last 2-3 seconds on my head...unless I am reaaaaaally distracted with something else!
As you can see, I had a blast swinging away... I LOVED IT!!!
This little car was kinda cool too...
I can stretch far and get into what I want...
My mom had to include this picture...it's actually my trademark... my piggy tail ;o)
