'Listen To My Heart' Patient and Family Event
On the 16th of March 2019 the Children's Heart Disease Research Unit hosted a patient-focused workshop – ‘Listen to my Heart’ – at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital.
In addition to highlighting the plight of heart disease in children, the event involved discussions on how to manage life with a heart condition as well as on patients, parents and health care professionals' roles in advocating for children's heart disease as a public health priority. The event included a strong focus on the perspectives of people living with heart disease and featured a number of informative discussions and interactive booths to give both patients and parents the opportunity to learn more about their conditions as well as the services available to them.
Parents and adolescent patients were given the chance to listen to informative sessions on topics ranging from sports and nutrition to pregnancy and growing old with a heart condition while children were able to play and interact with each other in the play area. Children's entertainment included a magic show, a soft play area, face painting and a photo booth as well as nails and make up for the girls!
Our hope is for this event to become a regular feature as being child and family-centred is one of our core values as a research unit.
We would like to thank all our sponsors and collaborators for donating their time and services in helping to make this event both memorable and informative, with special thanks to;
Propel Photo Booths for supplying the photo booth
The College of Magic for providing magicians
Click here to see photos from the event!