Children's Heart Foundation

Heart problems in children are surprisingly common. They are, in fact, the most common type of birth defect and the number one cause of death during the first year of life. Nearly twice as many children die from congenital heart disease in the United States each year as die from all forms of childhood cancers combined.

Children’s Heart Foundation was founded by a unique and passionate group of parents and Nevada pediatric cardiologists who have gained firsthand knowledge of the emotional and financial toll exacted by a child’s heart condition. All are eager to provide appropriate services for heart children and their families.

Financial Assistance

Receiving a diagnosis of a heart condition is devastating to a family and can take a financial toll due to long hospital stays and time away from work. Children’s Heart Foundation helps in a new diagnosis or crisis situation by helping families pay for living expenses such as food, uninsured or underinsured medical expenses—gas, groceries, rent, and utilities.

Prescription Assistance

Often children with a CHD can take several prescription medications that can be very expensive. We help by paying for the co-pay or full pay of prescriptions to families that financially qualify.

Travel Expenses

Las Vegas is home to the only full service Pediatric Cardiology Center in Nevada—Children’s Heart Center Nevada; therefore, families living outside of Las Vegas, or needing to travel outside of the state, can experience excessive travel costs. We assist with airfare, ground travel and lodging to families traveling for surgical procedures, either to our facility or to a facility outside the state for a heart transplant.

Food from the Heart

Healthy snack options are provided to the families in the PICU and NICU at Sunrise Hospital. The baskets contain snack items and easy to eat comfort foods. This allows family members to have food available without having to take time away from their child. Additionally, we provide meal vouchers for the Sunrise Hospital cafeteria for the family during their child’s stay.

Diapers and General Household Items

We provide families with diapers and general household items like laundry soap, shampoo, toothpaste, body soap, and more to help in an immediate and meaningful way with the simplest of needs.

Family Counseling

A heart condition can be shocking to parents and siblings. Often time’s insurance does not cover the cost for counseling. Children’s Heart Foundation can arrange free sessions with a behavioral therapist at Children’s Heart Center Nevada where one or more of the family members can discuss their situation.

Teen Group

Children’s Heart Foundation’s newest program, Teen Group was developed to offer more social interaction for teen heart patients, ages 13-17 years of age.  The pandemic has drastically affected the way our youth handles social situations.  Coming together in a common setting, allows our teens to foster friendships with like-minded peers and build social confidence.

Camp Mend-a-Heart is a cost-free, medically supervised camp for children ages 7-17 receiving medical treatment in Nevada who are born with or develop a heart condition. Camp Mend-a-Heart is the only medically supervised camp of its kind in Nevada.

Camp Mend-a-Heart offers a camping experience with sports, arts & crafts, water games and many other recreational activities and programs associated with a traditional summer camp. Camp Mend-a-Heart is staffed by volunteer counselors, nurses and physicians who give from their hearts to help these special kids.

Other Services

We also provide special events for our children’s families so they have the opportunity to meet others that face the same challenges and experiences they do, so they may build supportive relationships.