Wear Red For Little Heart Day

4 February 2021, Auckland – For many people Valentine’s Day is all about showing love with flowers and chocolates but for Heart Kids, the charity supporting heart children and their families through life, it is all about New Zealand’s little hearts.

Sunday 14 February is International CHD Day (congenital heart disease) or as we call it in New Zealand, “Little Heart Day.” For the past five years Heart Kids has marked the day by encouraging as many people as possible to wear red or bake their hearts out for Little Heart Day.

This year New Zealanders will celebrate Little Heart Day on Friday 12 February, so that Kiwis can show their support by either wearing red at pre-schools, schools and businesses, or by baking ‘hearty’ treats. This date also symbolises the 12 New Zealand babies born each week with a congenital heart defect.

This year Lisa MacGregor, whose late daughter Teagan was born with atrioventricular septal defect and aorta coarctation, is raising awareness for Heart Kids.

“Diane, a Heart Kids support worker, was my rock when I was in Auckland with Teagan. She knew that my family couldn’t be there with me all the time, so she would bring me coffee and just listen whenever I needed support. As soon as Diane came in, I would have a smile on my face.”

Heart Kids continues to provide ongoing support to Lisa and her son after Teagan’s death.

Sophie Riley, owner of Petal and Leaf, will be donating $10 from each bouquet sold from her flower van in Whitford, East Auckland on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February. Heart Kids is Sophie’s chosen charity for personal reasons: the young daughter of a close friend has hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has had numerous open heart surgeries.

“Last year I raised $635 for Heart Kids – selling flowers via Instagram. This year I am hoping to raise even more to show my support for all the incredible heart warriors and their families, and to support the amazing work that Heart Kids does,” says Sophie.

On Little Heart Day thousands of people from pre-schools, schools, community groups, businesses and organisations will be wearing red and holding bake sales, movie nights and other events to celebrate the lives of our heart kids and raise funds to help mend broken hearts this year.

Heart Kids is the only not-for-profit organisation that provides support to children born with heart conditions and their families. It is the only organisation in New Zealand dedicated to supporting heart kids through life.

A CHD affects 1 in 100 children and is the most common serious birth defect. It is also the number one cause of death for infants and newborns in New Zealand. There is neither prevention nor cure for a CHD.

What can you do for Little Heart Day on 12 February?

All the resources you need to put your heart and soul into supporting Little Heart Day can be found here.

Some suggestions to get you started:

• Wear Red and help mend a broken heart

• Pour your heart into a bake sale

• Watch a heart-warming film at a movie night

• Organise another activity you’ve set your heart on

• Go to www.heartkids.org.nz to find out more about CHDs or make a donation from the bottom of your heart

• Use the #littleheartday on any social media posts and tag @heartkidsnz

• Text HEART to 2427 to make a $3 donation

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