1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. heart disease

Spring 2015
Magazine
THE
POWER
OF PEER
SUPPORT
Little Hearts,
Big Ambition
MLH adds new volunteer role
New study proves value of Mended Hearts
PLUS: How Visiting Benefits Visitors
Speak from the heart
about your angina
“My cardiologist and nurse practitioner
help me manage my angina long-term.”
Debbie, angina patient
Watch Debbie’s video
Wendy Beckmann,
MS, FNP-C
If you have been limiting your work or your activities
because of your chronic angina, be sure to talk about it
with your cardiovascular healthcare provider.
For tips on how to talk with your cardiologist, information
about living better with angina, and support and stories
from real angina patients—including Debbie—visit
www.SpeakFromTheHeart.com.
Your cardiologist
is listening
Speak From the Heart is a trademark, and the Speak From the Heart logo is a registered trademark, of Gilead Sciences, Inc.
© 2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC1739 3/15
Dedicated to inspiring hope in heart
disease patients and their families.
Mission: Inspiring hope and improving the quality of
life for heart patients and their families through ongoing
peer-to-peer support
THE MENDED HEARTS, INC.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2013-2015
President
Gus Littlefield
Executive Vice President
Donnette Smith
Vice President
Lynn Berringer
Treasurer
Dale Briggs
Mended Little Hearts
Vice President
Andrea Baer
Regional Directors
Central
Mid-Atlantic
Midwest
Northeast
Rocky Mountain
Southern
Southwest
Western
Jana Stewart
Gerald Kemp
Cathy Byington
Margaret Elbert
Randy Gay
Fredonia Williams
Millie Henn
Patrick Farrant
Immediate Past President
Past Presidents’ Council
Mended Little Hearts Director
Raul Fernandes
Charles Christmas
Megan Setzer
Staff
Executive Director
Michele Packard-Milam, CAE
Field Services Director
Marcia Baker
Director of Operations
Janette Edwards
Mended Little Hearts Director
Jodi Lemacks
Jessica Deering
Program Director
Marketing Manager
Ellen Regan
Michael Dealey
Member Database Coordinator
Field Services
Coordinator
Mandy Sandkuhler
Bookkeeper
Sheila Todd
Corporate Development Assistant
Tierney Wright
Heartbeat, the national magazine of The Mended Hearts,
Inc., a nonprofit organization, is published quarterly by
The Mended Hearts, Inc.; Editor, Melanie Medina; Art
Director, Ben Carpenter.
Letters of inquiry and publication are encouraged.
Materials should be sent to Heartbeat, The Mended
Hearts, Inc., 8150 N. Central Expressway, M2248, Dallas,
Texas 75206, 1-888-432-7899. The publishers and
editors of Heartbeat cannot assume responsibility
or liability for the return of unsolicited photography,
artwork or written materials.
For subscriptions to Heartbeat, see the registration
form in the center of the magazine. No part of
this publication may be reproduced without the
permission of The Mended Hearts, Inc. ©2015.
Mended Hearts, Inc. assumes no responsibility for
claims arising in connection with products or services
nor endorses any products or services advertised
in Heartbeat.
Et cetera...
We’d love to hear from you... about Heartbeat
or anything else having to do with Mended
Hearts or Mended Little Hearts. Send your
thoughts to [email protected] and
we’ll consider them for the magazine.
Visit us online:
www.mendedhearts.org
www.mendedlittlehearts.org
Spring 2015
Features
Can Peer Support Keep You
Out of the Hospital?
6
See what new studies reveal about the effect of Mended
Hearts’ programs on heart-failure readmission rates.
Proving Our Worth
10
Take a deep dive into the results of the Mended Hearts
patient survey.
Visiting Has Its Benefits
14
18
Mended Little Hearts kids, tweens, and teens step up to
help CHD families during nationwide service campaign.
Little Hearts, Big Ambition 21
As Mended Little Hearts expands nationally, a new team
of Assistant Regional Directors makes sure things run
smoothly at the community level.
SNL Alum, Golf Legend Team
Up to Help Mended Hearts
Mended Hearts Map 2
Heart to Heart
3
News from National
4
Heart Hero
5
Historical Hearts
23
Chapters on the Move24
A new study shows that Mended Hearts visitors report
improved quality of life and lower symptoms of anxiety
and depression.
Work of Heart Departments
22
When people view new videos of Kevin Nealon and
Arnold Palmer talking about heart disease, Janssen
Pharmaceuticals will make a donation to Mended Hearts.
MLH Regional Update26
Gifts
28
On the Cover: Members of Chapter
142 in Plano, Texas, modeled a typical
Mended Hearts visit. From left are
Richard Falkow, vice president; his
wife, Sheila, treasurer; and Lynn
Pridgen, visiting chair. Special thanks
to Mike Meyer, president, and Carol
Loe, hospital liaison, for coordinating
the photo shoot with photographer
Juan Pulido, and to the Medical Center
of Plano, an HCA facility.
“It’s great to be
alive…and to
help others!”
Mended Hearts — Eight Regions
Mended Hearts is the largest cardiovascular peer-to-peer support network in the world. We have
300 chapters and satellites in nearly every state. Our community-based organization is built upon
the principles of service, charity and partnership.
To find out more about our services and to locate a chapter near you, reach out to one of our
Mended Hearts Regional Directors listed below or go online at mendedhearts.org. To learn more
about Assistant Regional Directors, a new role for Mended Little Hearts, please read “Little Hearts,
Big Ambition,” on page 21.
AK
WA
MT
OR
ID
MN
SD
WY
NV
WI
PA
UT
IL
CO
AZ
KS
NM
NATIONAL OFFICE
Dallas, Texas
CENTRAL
Patrick Farrant
[email protected]
(408) 227-1119
Jana Stewart
[email protected]
(812) 963-6019
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
SOUTHERN
MIDWEST
NORTHEAST
Cathy Byington
[email protected]
(605) 201-8849
Margaret Elbert
[email protected]
(516) 775-1367
SOUTHWEST
MID-ATLANTIC
Randy Gay
[email protected]
(406) 721-5288
Millie Henn
[email protected]
(254) 773-1557
2
Spring 2015
VA
ME
NH
MA
RI
CT
NJ
DE
MD
WASHINGTON, DC
NC
TN
SC
MS
AL
GA
LA
The following list contains
Mended Hearts Regional Directors
WESTERN
WV
KY
AR
TX
OH
IN
MO
OK
NY
MI
IA
NE
CA
HI
VT
ND
Fredonia Williams
[email protected]
(256) 837-7354
Gerald Kemp
[email protected]
(803) 684-9512
FL
PR
Mended Little Hearts ARDs
Northeast: Julia Rowbotham
[email protected] • (610) 306-4061
Mid-Atlantic: Lauri Tamberrino
[email protected] • (434) 531-6250
Southern: Dana Hageman
[email protected] • (501) 454-6667
Southwestern: Candida Schendel
[email protected] • (210) 213-6140
Central: Leslie Sams
[email protected] • (859) 559-5580
Rocky Mountains:* Angie Wickersham
[email protected] • (970) 433-2199
Western: Nicole Sanchez
[email protected] • (925) 362-1489
Midwest: Andrea Himmelberger
[email protected] • (650) 690-1432
*(including Colorado)
HEART TO HEART
Gus Littlefield, President
Share Your Story,
By the Numbers
M
y Mended Hearts story isn’t unique. It was
17 years ago, and I’d just spent two days in a
Scottsdale, Ariz., operating room with my chest
opened up: once for quintuple bypass surgery,
and again to repair some internal bleeding.
Sometime during my 10-day hospital stay, the president of
the local Mended Hearts chapter stopped by to share his story
with me. I, like many heart patients who are realizing that
they’ve just dodged a bullet, was feeling depressed. My visitor
told me about his own triple bypass surgery, and I could see
how well he was doing.
“If he can do it, so can I,” I said. That personal interaction
was what helped me snap out of it.
We all have stories like this, and we could spend years talking
about each of them. But no matter how compelling our stories
are, they’re not enough to prove Mended Hearts’ value. We
needed data to support the anecdotes.
And now we’ve got it. We have it in spades thanks to our
“Quantifying the Impact” study that we just completed with
the American College of Cardiology.
To see the nitty-gritty details, I encourage you to read our
feature story on page 6, “Can Peer Support Keep You Out of the
Hospital?” You’ll get all the numbers and learn about how the study
was conducted. And Mended Hearts’ Executive Director Michele
Packard-Milam’s column on page 4 will also shed some light on
what the study means for the future of this great organization.
What I will tell you is this: We now have empirical data
to show that Mended Hearts helps keep heart failure patients
from being readmitted to the hospital.
Now, on a personal level, we know that’s good. If you’ve ever
had a major heart procedure, you don’t want to be readmitted
to the hospital any time soon for another one.
On a broader level, this data has major implications. Why?
Because hospital administrators hate early, unplanned readmissions. Readmissions cost hospitals money — even more now
than in previous years, because the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid are penalizing hospitals when patients are readmitted
within 30 days of their initial hospitalization. Hospitals are under
intense pressure to keep readmission rates as low as possible.
Armed with the new data from the “Quantifying the Impact”
study, we can go to hospital administrators and show them
how we can help keep their heart failure patients from being
readmitted. Even with the data, our task won’t be easy. It will
require a lot of education and marketing to get the word out.
You’ll see that Mended Hearts will put forth a lot of effort
toward this in the months ahead.
The data will also allow us to show our value to other important groups as well — think potential conference sponsors
and magazine advertisers, such as pharmaceutical companies,
makers of heart devices and similar groups. It will also help
support us as we write grant requests.
As an individual Mended Hearts or Mended Little Hearts
member, what can you do with this data? I ask you to consider
it when you’re sharing your heart story with others. Your
Mended Hearts story is strong as it is, and even stronger with
numbers to buoy it.
Spring 2015
3
N E W S F R O M N AT I O N A L
Michele Packard-Milam, Executive Director
A Game Changer
A
s you read this, I am celebrating my first
they’ve had a heart attack or surgery. We should not turn them
anniversary with Mended Hearts and Mended Little
away — or throw away their contact info — a mere 90 days
Hearts. What a year this has been! We have a lot to
into their journey, which we all know will be many months,
look forward to in 2015, much of which is based on
possibly years, long. As always, if they say “no” at any point,
work we did in 2014, including the following:
we would mark their file “do not contact” and that would be
Quantifying the Value of Visiting — a Game Changer!
the end of it. But if they want to hear more, or if they just
The Quantifying Value Research Project has given us new,
aren’t sure whether joining is the answer for them, let’s keep
empirical data demonstrating that patients who are visited
them in the fold.
are more optimistic, more likely to comply with doctors’
How can we grow our organization and do more for
instructions, less likely to be readmitted to the hospital
more patients?
within 30 days, and happier with their overall experiences.
We have some wonderful sponsors that have supported us
Additionally, data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
for many years. But it’s always a good idea to diversify funding
Services (CMS) indicates that a heart failure patient in a hospital
sources. For instance: We’ve added new strategies to our corwith a visiting program is significantly
porate development process, including:
“Excellence is the result
less likely to have an unplanned, early
Foundation Grants — we have subreadmission than a patient in a hospital
mitted nearly $3 million in requests since
of caring more than oth- July, and continue to produce five requests
without a visiting program. THIS IS
ers think is wise, risking per month. This will all be new revenue!
HUGE!
Why is this a game changer?
Sponsors — we’re working
more than others think is to More
Because we can now prove what you
expand our sponsor lists, with more
have known all along — that Mended safe, dreaming more than pharmaceutical, medical equipment and
Hearts helps patients and families live
(new!) consumer brands. These will be
others
think
is
practical,
healthier and happier lives as they go
new sponsors!
and expecting more than
through their heart journeys.
Direct Appeal — we have started
W h a t w i l l we do w it h t h i s
requesting donations twice each year:
others think is possible.” Day of Giving in June and Thanks for
information?
— Unknown
We will present this exciting data
Giving in November. These campaigns
to new hospital systems to create more
help us cover the cost of infrastructure.
channels for Mended Hearts to reach more patients, some
We’re on our own, and we have to find ways to pay the bills!
through visiting and some in other ways.
Planned Giving/Major Gifts — Families can honor their
We will attract more patients, healthcare providers, hospital
loved ones through bequests and lasting legacies. We want
administrators and families to our organization. Whether
to create life-long relationships with patients and their families!
or not they become members, increased reach will make us
Affinity Programs — ways to save our members money
more visible, which will drive awareness, and that will help us
on services and products, generating revenue at the same time.
generate more revenue of all types.
Examples include Amazon Smile, GoodShop and GoodSearch,
What will we do with all of these new people?
with many more to come. This is all new money, too!
At the beginning, we should start a conversation with
Advertising — we will begin seeking paid advertising from
patients and caregivers that’s not just about joining, but also
outside our network for Heartbeat, the conference program
what we can do to help. Let’s send them our magazine and
and our websites. Again, new money and a way to extend our
our newsletters.
relationships with companies in the cardiovascular marketplace!
The membership conversation can happen both before and
Part of getting from $2 million to $10 million in five years
after our traditional 90-day window. Lots of people are not
will be finding ways — lots of ways — to grow. Consider
ready to make a joining decision in the first 12 weeks after
these ideas and let me know what you think.
4
Spring 2015
HEART HERO
Julia Carter
In sickness and in health, Julia and
Bill Carter are both patients —
and caregivers.
By Kimberly Turner
A
t the heart of things, Julia Carter’s story is
a tale of true love. As a teenager in small town
Arkansas, she started dating a charming young
man named Bill. The high school sweethearts fell
in love and married young but still managed to finish college
as married students. “I don’t recommend it,” Julia laughs, “but
it worked for us.”
Today, the couple has three adult children, six grandchildren,
Back home in Aiken, S.C., Bill got a call after Julia’s monitor
and 55 years of wedded bliss. But the years have not been
recognized that her heart had stopped. Fortunately, Packwithout their challenges. In 1994, Bill woke up and told his
ard-Milam, who Julia calls her “guardian angel” during the
wife, “Call 911. I’m having a heart attack.” He was rushed to
episode, had prepared Bill by letting him know that his wife
the hospital and ended up undergoing a double bypass surgery.
had been taken to George Washington University Hospital.
Though it would be several years before they volunteered with
There, she was fitted with a pacemaker.
Mended Hearts, their first encounter
“It was ironic because
“It was ironic because I became not only
with the organization came when Bill was
a caregiver but a patient myself, so now
recuperating; a Mended Hearts volunteer
I became not only
Bill is a caregiver too,” she says.
stopped by Bill’s Dayton, Ohio, hospital
a caregiver but
These days, the Carters are both
room to offer support and hope.
extremely active in Mended Hearts
Julia became Bill’s caregiver for the
a patient myself,
Chapter 294 in Aiken. She is the former
next 21 years — a role she still holds
so now Bill is
newsletter editor and is about to take
today. Recently, however, the tables were
on responsibility for scheduling visits.
turned and Bill earned his own caregiver
a
caregiver
too.”
He is the Assistant Regional Director
badge after Julia experienced a cardiac
— Julia Carter
of the state of South Carolina. “We
event of her own. She had been suffering
get a lot out of it and enjoy the work,”
from episodes where she lost consciousJulia says. “One Christmas, Bill and I didn’t have our kids
ness and became nauseated. Even after six emergency room
here so we put on little Santa Claus hats and went out to
visits over the course of several years, doctors had been unable
visit. People were astonished that we would visit them on
to determine the cause. Her cardiologist remained convinced
Christmas day… It’s always nice to bring a little joy into
that her problems were heart-related and fitted her with an
people’s lives.”
event monitor.
Just two weeks later, Julia was attending a conference in
Kimberly Turner is a writer and editor who has written for dozens
Washington, D.C., with Mended Hearts representatives Ron
of publications in the U.S. and Australia. Currently, she is editorial
and Angela Manriquez, and executive director Michele Packdirector of WellATL, an online health and wellness publication
ard-Milam, CAE. The group was eating dinner together when
she cofounded.
Julia passed out once again.
Spring 2015
5
F E AT U R E
Can Peer Support Keep
You Out of the Hospital?
What new studies reveal about the effect of Mended Hearts
programs on heart failure readmission rates
By Maria Carter
S
pending another night on a hospital gurney is
the last thing a heart failure patient wants, yet nearly
25 percent of people hospitalized with heart failure
are readmitted within 30 days.1 If you’re keen to keep
the cardiologist at bay, there’s good news: a little peer pressure
may do the trick.
A recent analysis of data from thousands of hospitals
concludes that hospitals with organized Mended Hearts
visiting programs are significantly more likely to have better
readmission rates for heart failure patients than other U.S.
hospitals. In other words, the report, called Quantifying
6
Spring 2015
the Impact of the Mended Hearts, showed that heart failure
patients at Mended Hearts hospitals are less likely to return
to the hospital within 30 days post-procedure than their
counterparts at other hospitals.
The findings confirm what many Mended Hearts members,
as well as cardiologists and researchers, have long surmised.
“We’re excited to have empirical data that supports what
we’ve known for a while, which is that a peer-to-peer support
network makes a big difference in the outcomes for patients,”
says Michele Packard-Milam, CAE, executive director of
Mended Hearts.
“We’re excited to have empirical data
that supports what we’ve known for
a while, which is that a peer-to-peer
support network makes a big difference in the outcomes for patients.” —
Michele Packard-Milam, CAE,
executive director of Mended Hearts
How Do Support Programs Make a Difference?
The correlation between Mended Hearts and patient success
may stem from the fact that heart failure is a chronic illness.
Managing it requires patients to alter their daily habits, some
of which they’ve acquired over a lifetime.
“It’s much easier to take a pill than to make these changes
in the way you live,” says Brenda J. Hott, M.D., a cardiologist
at The Heart Center of Northeast Georgia Medical Center
who is board certified in advanced heart failure and transplant
cardiology.
The number one reason for heart failure readmission, according to Hott, is patient indiscretion. “They may have had
a high load of sodium, stopped doing their daily weights, or
had some other sort of falling off with the program,” she says.
“When we have a chronic illness that needs to be managed
every single day, we need support from other people to help
us stay on the right path.”
Recent similar studies also confirm the value of peer support
groups for heart failure patients: An August 2014 study in
Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care concluded
that “self-management peer support programs” provided heart
failure patients with comfort, restored confidence, and offered
practical solutions.
‘If They Made It, I Can.’
Tom Southwell, visiting chairman of the Evansville, Indiana,
Mended Hearts chapter, spends three days a week visiting
patients at The Heart Hospital at Deaconess Gateway. He
says patients find particular encouragement in hearing from
volunteers who’ve been where they are. “We tell them what we
eat, how we try to follow the diet, and we talk about cardiac
rehab,” says Southwell, who had a heart attack at age 41 and
triple bypass surgery at 57.
“We hit on the same bases as the people who work for the
hospital; the only difference is we personally follow these
habits, each one of us, and that’s what keeps us from having
to go through another procedure. We’ve been there, but the
dietitians, the nurses and the doctors — they haven’t.”
A new diagnosis of heart failure can be frightening, says
Methodology
How researchers analyzed hospital comparative data from
Mended Hearts hospitals and other hospitals
Researchers used data from the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) to quantify the impact Mended
Hearts has on patient outcomes. They compared mortality
and readmission rates for heart attack and heart failure
patients among hospitals with organized Mended Hearts
visiting programs (“Mended Hearts hospitals”) versus other
U.S. hospitals.
The study used reported data from 4,805 hospitals that
participate in the CMS public reporting program — 164
Mended Hearts hospitals and 4,641 other U.S. hospitals.
It examined patient outcomes in four areas: 1) 30-day
mortality rates for heart attack; 2) 30-day readmission
rates for heart attack; 3) 30-day mortality rates for heart
failure; and 4) 30-day readmission rates for heart failure.
Mended Hearts hospitals are more likely to have “better
than U.S. national rate” readmission rates for heart failure
patients than other U.S. hospitals. Mended Hearts hospitals
are no different than other U.S. hospitals in heart attack
mortality and readmission rates and heart failure mortality
rates, after adjusted hospital characteristics.
Hott, but Mended Hearts volunteers can
offer hope. “It’s good for patients to see
someone who has been living well with
chronic disease and having quality of life,”
she says.
Southwell and fellow volunteers from his
chapter aim to visit each patient three times Tom Southwell
during their stay. Recently he bumped into
a patient he had visited 10 weeks prior, a woman who had
undergone open-heart surgery. “She remembered me and told
me she was impressed with our visits,” says Southwell. “She
said, ‘It’s nice seeing someone at the foot of your bed that’s
been through the same experience. It gives you a kind of hope:
If they made it, I can.’”
What Does Mended Hearts Mean to Patients?
Following the comparative analysis, Mended Hearts and the
American College of Cardiology conducted a field survey that
looked at how cardiovascular patients were recovering 30 days
after discharge from a hospital stay in which they were visited
by a Mended Hearts volunteer.
Overall, patients said they found Mended Hearts helpful
and were very satisfied with both the visit from volunteers
and the educational materials. Southwell says the patients
he’s visited appreciate the clear-cut, short-and-sweet nature of
Spring 2015
7
the organization’s info packets, a welcome alternative to the
“overwhelming” three-ring binder the hospital provides.
The survey also found that:
■■ More than 90 percent of patients are “very likely” to recommend Mended Hearts to another patient like themselves.
■■ More than 50 percent have become Mended Hearts members
since their visit.
■■ Less than 20 percent were readmitted to the hospital after
their earlier stay in which they met with a Mended Hearts
volunteer.
Southwell had never heard of the organization until 2011
when he had triple bypass surgery and a Mended Hearts
volunteer spoke with his wife while he was in the operating
room. After returning home, he attended a few meetings and
decided to join. He finds the social aspect of meetings especially
important: “It helps to talk to someone 10, 15 or 20 years down
the road [post-surgery] and to see them up and going,” he says.
“It gives me a lot of confidence.”
In turn, Southwell tries to impart some of that confidence
to the younger patients he comes across. He sees denial and
depression in some, “especially the younger ones,” he says. “I
have a hard time getting through to them because they think
it’s over.” Indeed, the ACC patient survey found that 28 percent
of patients have suffered from depression recently. Of that 28
percent, half said they’re dealing with the emotional side effect
by talking with friends and family, while another 35 percent
said they’d joined a support group to help them cope.
“When we have a chronic illness that
needs to be managed every single day,
we need support from other people
to help us stay on the right path.” —
Brenda J. Hott, M.D., a cardiologist at
The Heart Center of Northeast Georgia
Medical Center
Hott notes that Mended Hearts has had a tremendous impact
at her hospital. “Several of my patients are also Mended Hearts
volunteers,” she says. “They’re very good about talking to the
new heart failure patients and telling them how important the
lifestyle changes (cutting back on sodium and fluids, getting
exercise) are. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from patients.”
Following a Hunch
Proof of the effectiveness of peer-to-peer cardiac support networks has been largely anecdotal up until now, which is part
of the reason Mended Hearts commissioned the comparative
analysis of hospitals with Mended Hearts programs versus
8
Spring 2015
those without. Mended Hearts wanted to assess the impact
of its support programs on patient outcomes.
The study’s conclusions aren’t exactly surprising, given
Mended Hearts’ beginning. The organization started in 1951
when heart surgeon Dr. Dwight E. Harken asked four of his
post-surgery patients, some of the first people to ever have
open-heart surgery, to meet.
Patient Survey Objectives
and Methodology
The Mended Hearts Patient Survey was conducted in two
phases from February 15 to August 20, 2014. For Phase I,
Mended Hearts volunteers asked the patients they visited to
complete an online survey. A total of 294 patients completed
the Phase I survey, providing insight into their perceptions
regarding their experience in meeting with a Mended Hearts
volunteer at the hospital or care facility.
Phase II consisted of a follow-up survey approximately
30 days after patients’ discharge from the hospital or care
facility. This survey gathered information on how patients
were recovering and their impressions of Mended Hearts.
A total of 94 patients completed the Phase II survey, a 39
percent response rate.
“We’ve been there, but the dietitians,
the nurses and the doctors — they
haven’t.” — Tom Southwell, visiting
chairman of the Evansville, Indiana,
Mended Hearts chapter 107
Chapters win prizes for
survey participation
The Mended Hearts Patient Survey would not have been
possible without the generous support from local chapters.
To drum up as many survey responses as possible, Mended
Hearts national offered some incentives. Chapters were
eligible to win $50, $100 or the grand prize—a four-night
stay at the 2015 Conference hotel for one attendee.
As expected, our chapters delivered. With nearly 300
respondents to the Phase I survey and nearly 100 for the
Phase II study, we were thrilled with the participation rate.
Mended Hearts national is grateful for the work chapters
did on this project and what they continue to do each day
in their communities.
At long last, here’s a look at the survey-incentive winners:
“Instinct told him that people would do better if they could
share the experience,” says Packard-Milam. The patients found
they had more in common than medical history; they also
shared newfound feelings and challenges that had emerged
post-surgery. They decided they wanted to help others dealing
with heart disease and enlisted Dr. Harken to help them form
Mended Hearts.
The organization’s reach has grown exponentially since
then — its 20,000 members visited more than 200,000 heart
patients last year — but Packard-Milam says awareness of
Mended Hearts and its many benefits hasn’t yet reached critical
mass. This latest data, she hopes, will expand the network’s
visibility to heart patients throughout the country.
What the Study Results Mean for Mended Hearts
Packard-Milam plans to take the study’s data to hospital systems
to show how Mended Hearts can help with their unplanned
readmission rate. This is especially important in light of Medicare’s new Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which
penalizes hospitals for heart failure, heart attack, and pneumonia
patients who return within 30 days of discharge. Hospitals
can lose up to 3 percent of their Medicare payments under the
program, which is monitored by the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS).
“Some hospitals see [support programs] as a nicety and not a
necessity,” says Packard-Milam. “I would argue that, given the
changes in CMS policy regarding early readmission, everybody
needs to do everything they can to make sure patients are being
managed as they transition from hospital to home so they don’t
come back to the hospital too soon.”
She’d also like to use the research to increase the organization’s
visibility with cardiac patients. “We have about 4,000 visitor
volunteers, each of them trained and accredited — that’s a
wonderful point of difference Mended Hearts has that is not
duplicated anywhere else,” she says. “We are the largest heart
patient peer-to-peer network in the world, with 300 chapters,
20,000 members, and monthly meetings in almost every chapter,
but that support system isn’t being tapped into because most
patients have never heard of us.”
Mended Hearts’ patient visitors would like to see the
data used to expand the organization’s visiting program.
Southwell says Mended Hearts has a great relationship
Grand Prize
■■ Gastonia, North Carolina (Chapter 379)
These chapters received either $100 or $50 incentives
■■ Temple, Texas (Chapter 12)
■■ Charlotte, North Carolina (Chapter 372)
■■ Cookeville, Tennessee (Chapter 127)
■■ Lynchburg, Virginia (Chapter 16)
■■ Boise, Idaho (Chapter 380)
■■ Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Chapter 299)
■■ Orlando, Florida (Chapter 296)
■■ Evansville, Indiana (Chapter 107)
■■ Scottsdale, Arizona (Chapter 126)
■■ Northern Virginia (Chapter 200)
with its Evansville, Indiana-area hospitals, particularly the
Heart Hospital at Deaconess Gateway (“they are more or
less giving us a key…we couldn’t do what we do without
them”), and hopes his chapter can use the study’s findings
to gain entry into new hospitals where they can build the
same kind of rapport.
The more hospitals Mended Hearts can gain entrance into,
the more good it can do. “We can help their patients feel more
in control and be more optimistic, which will help the patients
be more compliant with directions they’re getting from their
healthcare providers,” says Packard-Milam. “It’s a win-win all
the way around if we can help people be more successful in
their heart journeys.”
Maria Carter is a health and lifestyle writer living in New York City.
She has contributed to more than 40 different publications including
Vegetarian Times, the L.A. Times, MensJournal.com and more. Visit
her online at mariacarter.net.
1
According to “Transitional Care Interventions to Prevent Readmissions for Persons With Heart Failure,”
Annals of Internal Medicine: http://annals.org/data/Journals/AIM/930291/0000605-201406030-00005.pdf
Spring 2015
9
Proving Our Worth
By Heartbeat Editors
W
hen Mended Hearts volunteers talk about
the value of our organization, we’re preaching to
the choir. We know how valuable peer-to-peer
support is because we live it day in and day out.
But our personal experiences need to be backed by evidence
— and now we have it, thanks to a two-part survey given to
cardiovascular patients. Here’s a look at how the survey was
conducted, along with highlights from the survey results.
Survey Objectives and Methodology
The Mended Hearts Patient Surveys were designed to:
■■ Understand the perceptions of cardiovascular patients
regarding their experience in meeting with a Mended
Hearts volunteer at the hospital or care facility (Phase I
field study)
■■ Enroll them in a follow up survey concerning their impressions of Mended Hearts to take place approximately 30
days after their discharge from the hospital or care facility
(Phase I field study)
Understand how the Phase I patients were recovering approximately 30 days post-discharge from the hospital or care
facility stay in which they were visited by a Mended Hearts
volunteer (Phase II study)
■■ Gather their perceptions about the Mended Hearts organization after the initial visit from the Mended Hearts
volunteer (Phase II study)
The patient survey was conducted in two phases from February 15 to August 20, 2014. For Phase I, Mended Hearts
volunteers asked the patients they visited to complete an online
survey. A total of 294 patients completed the Phase I survey,
providing insight into their perceptions regarding their experience in meeting with a Mended Hearts volunteer at the
hospital or care facility.
Phase II consisted of a follow-up survey approximately 30 days
after patients’ discharge from the hospital or care facility. This
survey gathered information on how patients were recovering
and their impressions of Mended Hearts. A total of 94 patients
completed the Phase II survey, a 39 percent response rate.
■■
Patient Heart Procedure/Condition Resulting in Hospital Treatment
Most patients who met with a Mended Hearts volunteer were recovering from open-heart surgery, either coronary artery
bypass graft or valve repair/replacement
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Open-heart surgery - Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
Open-heart surgery - Valve repair / replacement
Cardiac cath / Stent implanted
Heart attack (i.e. Myocardial Infarction)
Congestive heart failure
Pacemaker / defribilator implanted
Atrial Fibrilation
Cardiac cath / Angioplasty (no stent)
Cardiac arrythmia treatment/procedure
Other
Ablation
Aneurysm
Angiogram
Aortic dissection
Atherosclerosis, blocked artery
Cardiac arrest
Cardiomyopathy
Dissected Aortic aneurism
GI Bleed (heart attack related)
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Lung Cancer Biopsy
%
10
Spring 2015
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
LVAD implant
MAZE surgery
Observation/exam after fall
Open heart - aorta aneurysm
Open heart surgery education/prep
Open heart surgery myxoma
PFO/Open heart surgery
Rapid heart beat
Robotic valve repair
Stroke caused by afib
Education Guide
Mended Hearts Visitor
Contact Information
Somewhat More
Favorable
Other
None / No Impact
% Nothing
10
20
30
40
50
60
%
10
20
70
80 Somewhat Less
Favorable
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Mended Hearts Local
Excellent (5)
Not sure
Chapter Information
Open-heart surgery - Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
Much Less Favorable
Ablation
LVAD implant
74%
Hope Heart Pack Patient
repair / replacement
%
10 Open-heart
20 surgery
30 - Valve 40
50
60
70
80
Aneurysm
MAZE surgery
Impact
of Mended
Hearts
Volunteer
Visit
on
Helpfulness
of
Mended
Hearts
Volunteer
(4)
Education
Guide
Not sure
Cardiac cath / Stent implanted
Angiogram
Observation/exam after fall
Mended Hearts
Visitor
Patient Experience
Eighty-nine percent of patients feltAortic
that
the MendedOpen
Hearts
dissection
heart - aorta aneurysm
Heart attack (i.e. Myocardial Infarction)
Contact Information
0
10
20
30
40 Atherosclerosis,
50
60
(3)artery Open heart surgery education/prep
blocked
Congestive
heartwith
failure the Mended
Nine
out
of
10
patients
said
that
their
visit
volunteer
was
helpful
to
them.
Other
Cardiac arrest
Open heart surgery myxoma
Pacemaker / defribilator implanted
Hearts volunteer had a favorable
impact on their experience
Cardiomyopathy
PFO/Open heart surgery
(2)
Atrial Fibrilation
Dissected Aortic aneurism
Rapid heart beat
atNothing
the hospital/office where they
received
their
care.
Cardiac cath / Angioplasty (no stent)
GI Bleed (heart attack related) Robotic valve repair
Not sure
Cardiac arrythmia treatment/procedure
Hypertrophic
Stroke caused
Poor (1)
%
10
20
30
40
50cardiomyopathy
60
70
80 by afib
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Lung Cancer Biopsy
%
10
20
30
40
50
60 Other70
80
%
10
20
Extremely
Helpful
(5)
Much More Favorable
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
89%
Somewhat More
(4)
Favorable
{
{
None / No Impact
(3)
Somewhat Less
Favorable
(2)
Much Less
0 Favorable 10
Much More Favorable
20
30
40
50
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
10
Hypertension
Not sure
Not sure
Somewhat More
Favorable
%
Not At All Helpful (1)
60
20
% Networks
10
20
Much Less FavorableResources/Support
%
30
{
40
Support from
someone%
with a
60
70 similar80experience
Mended Hearts Local
Good info about
Chapter Information
my condition/recovery
Hope Heart Pack Patient
GoodGuide
information
Education
about Mended Hearts
Mended Hearts Visitor
Contact Information
Encouragement
50
Extremely
(5)
Provided
byHelpful
Mended
Hearts Visitor
89%
Almost all patients
(90%)
recall receiving resources
(4)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
from the Mended Hearts visitor, with local Mended
(3)
Hearts Chapter information (70%) being the most
(2)
popular.
Not sure
Not At All%Helpful (1)
10
{
Extremely Helpful (5)
89%
10
20
30
40
50
Coronart Artery Disease
20
30
40
50
60
70
Not sure
%
(4)
10
20
30
40
%
5
10
10
20
15
20
Mean = 4.55
60
70
80
Heart25attack 30
40 Valvular50heart disease
60
30
50
60
80
80
Angina
Atheroscierosis
Stroke
Arrhythmia
Tachycardia
Nothing
Eased my mind
Mean Pleasant
=Not
4.55surepersonal
encounter
%
70
80
Comforting
70
Congestive Heart Failure
Other
Show of concern
(3)
Cardiomyopathy
10
20
Congenital Heart Disease
30
40
50
60
Peripheral Artery Disease
70
Aortic valve re
Endocarditis
Myxoma
Pacemaker
Stent
80
Other
Advice
Not sure
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
(2) Support from
PatientHelpful
Evaluation of Diligence with Self%Care 10
someone with a
InNot
What
Way
Your Mended
Patients evaluate
themselves extremely high in terms of
similar
experience
At All Helpful
(1) Was
Other
Good info about
Hearts Volunteer
Helpful?
following
their
medical
regimen.
my sure
condition/recovery
Mean = 4.55
Not
0Not sure 10
20
30
40
50
60
Patients perceived
their Mended Hearts volunteer visitors
Good information
about Mended
Hearts
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70 Much More
80 Favorable
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
to be helpful in a number of ways.
Show
% of concern
5
Support from
someone withEased
a my mind
similar experience
Pleasant
Good info about personal
my condition/recovery encounter
10
Somewhat More
Favorable
15
20
25
Good information Comforting
about Mended Hearts
Encouragement
Advice
Show of concern
Helpful
Eased my mind
Other
Pleasant personal
encounter
Not sure
Comforting
%
Extremely diligent (5)
(4)
None / No Impact
(3)
Somewhat Less
(2)
Favorable
Not
at all diligent (1)
%
10
20
No
answer
Much Less Favorable
Not
applicable
Excellent (5)
%
Not sure
{
(4)
(3)
(2)
5
10
15
20
Poor (1)
30
%
25
Advice
{
Other
10
20
30
40
5
10
15
20
Atrial fibrilation
(2)
{
(4)
25
Hypertension
30
High cholesterol
Coronart Artery Disease
(3)
74%
60
%
%
(4)
Poor (1)
50
Not sure
Excellent (5)
10
%
20
10
20
40
60
80
30
40
50
60
20
40
60
80
100
Mean = 4.97
100
20
30
40 as prescribed
50
60
Being 0diligent 10
about taking
all medications
%
20
Extremely diligent (5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
%
Not at all diligent (1)
NoExtremely
answer Helpful (5)
10Not applicable20 89%
30
(4) 20
%
{
40
60
80
Mean = 3.96
20
30
10
100
40
50
60
70
80
Mean = 4.91
40
50
60
40
60
80
100
30
40
50
Taking diuretics as
(3)prescribed
Helpful
%
30
30
74%
%
20
Making sure you are taking the right medications
Encouragement
%
30
Atrial fibrilation
Somewhat Less
Favorable
Excellent (5)
30
High cholesterol
None / No Impact
74%
30
30
20
40
30
Heart attack
Mean = 3.96
Valvular heart disease
50
60
Congestive Heart Failure
40
50
Angina
60
Atheroscierosis
Stroke
%
10
(2)
Extremely diligent (5)
(4)
10
20
30 (1)
40
Not At(3)All Helpful
(2)
Not at all diligent (1) Not sure
No answer
Not applicable
%
%
10
%
Support from
someone with a
similar experience
Good info about
my condition/recovery
Good information
about Mended
% Hearts 10
20
50
Mean = 4.55
Mean = 4.94
10
20
5
20
30
10
30
40
50
40
15
20
60
50
25
30
40
80
30
11
Spring 2015
20
70
50
60
70
80
(3)
(2)
Not at all diligent (1)
No answer
Not applicable
%
20
40
%
10
20
Extremely diligent (5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
Not at all diligent (1)
No answer
Not applicable
Mean = 4.91
Encouragement
Taking diuretics as prescribed
Extremely diligent (5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
Not at all diligent (1)
No answer
Not applicable
Taking diuretics as prescribed
Good information
about Mended Hearts
60
80
Show of concern
100
Eased30my mind 40
50
Pleasant personal
encounter
10
20
Mean = 4.94
Heart Attack 74%
Other
{
30
5
40
10
10
50
60
15
70
20
80
20
30
40
50
(4)
(3)
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
(2)
80
Mean = 3.96
Poor (1)
Patient Heart Condition
Resulting
in30Treatment
%
10
20
40
Post-discharge
Hospital Readmission?
(n=94)to the Phase II study,
Among patients
who responded
%
20
40
60
80
100
Yes which was done approximately 30 days post-discharge,
No most were being treated for hypertension.
20
40
60
80
%
10
100
20
30
Which Procedures Performed on Readmission? (n=18)
Hypertension
%
High cholesterol
5
10
15
20
25
40
30
50
10
20
30
40
50
60
50
60
70
80
70
80
Heart Attack
Patient Readmission and Treatment Procedures
Other
About 19%
of patients were readmitted to the hospital
% hospital
10
20 in 30
50 with
60 a
after their earlier
visit
which40they met
Mended Hearts visitor. For more than 1 out of 4 of those
readmitted patients, no procedures were performed.
Post-discharge Hospital Readmission? (n=94)
%
Yes 60
20
40
60
80
100
20
40
60
80
100
No
%
Which Procedures Performed on Readmission? (n=18)
Congestive Heart Failure
Cardiac cath /
Angioplasty (no stent)
Angina
Cardiac Ablation
Cardiac Ablation
Atheroscierosis
Pulmonary embolism
Change medication
Cardiac cath /
Angioplasty (no stent)
Stroke
Pulmonary embolism
%
Cardiomyopathy
5
10
15
20
Which Procedures Also Performed During
Heart Disease
PriorCongenital
Hospitalization?
Peripheral Artery
% Disease
5
10
15
20
25
Other
Not the same procedure
Cardiac arrhythmia Not sure
treatment / procedure
%
Cardiac cath /
stent implanted
Change medication
10
25
Aortic valve replacement
Endocarditis
Myxoma
30 Pacemaker
35
40
Stent
20
30
40
100
10
15
100
nt about taking all medications as prescribed
80
25
30
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Not the same procedure
50
Cardiac arrhythmia
treatment / procedure
Cardiac cath /
stent implanted
Change medication
Other
Mean = 4.97
80
20
Pulmonary embolism
80
5
15
Cardiac cath /
Angioplasty (no stent)
ou are taking the Pulmonary
right medications
embolism
%
10
Which Procedures Also Performed During
Prior Hospitalization?
30
Cardiac cath /
Angioplasty (no stent)
60 Other
5
Other
Arrhythmia
Other
Tachycardia
%
Change medication
Valvular heart disease
60
40
Cardiac arrhythmia
treatment/procedure
Cardiac cath /
stent implanted
Coronart Artery Disease
12
30
No procedures performed
Cardiac arrhythmia
Atrial fibrilation
treatment/procedure
Cardiac cathHeart
/
attack
stent implanted
40
20
25 Atrial 30
Fibrilation
50
No procedures performed
20
10
%
Atrial Fibrilation
60
50
Coronary Arterial
Occlusion
Transient Ischemic
Attack
Coronary Arterial
%
Occlusion
Transient Ischemic Excellent (5)
Attack
40
40
None / Nothing
None / Nothing
20
30
Mean = 4.94
Advice
%
40
20
Comforting
%
20
10
%
Patient Post-Discharge
Conditions
%
10
20
30
40
50
Most patients (76%) have not experienced
any new condiHelpful
tions after they were discharged from
the hospital. However,
Other
approximately 24% of patients have experienced one of these
Not sure
conditions.
%
%
Spring
1002015
20
25
30
35
40
Which Procedures Performed on Readmission? (n=18)
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
No procedures performed
Cardiac arrhythmia
treatment/procedure
Cardiac cath /
stent implanted
Your Visit With Mended Hearts Volunteer
%
10
20
30
40
50
Your
Visit
With
Extremely
satisfied
(5) Mended Hearts Volunteer
Change medication
60
70
80
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
% Educational
10
20
30
40
50
Mended Hearts
Materials
60
70
80
(4) %
Extremely satisfied (5)
(3)
(4)
(2)
(3)
Not at all satisfied (1)
(2)
Not sure
Not at all satisfied
(1)
No answer
Not sure
No answer %
%
Cardiac cath /
Angioplasty (no stent)
Cardiac Ablation
Pulmonary embolism
Other
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
Which Procedures Also Performed During
Prior Hospitalization?
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Not the same procedure
Cardiac arrhythmia
treatment / procedure
Cardiac cath /
stent implanted
Change medication
Mended Hearts Educational Materials
Extremely satisfied (5)
(4) %
Extremely satisfied (5)
(3)
(4)
(2)
(3)
Not at all satisfied (1)
(2)
Not sure
Not at all satisfied
(1)
No answer
Not sure
No answer %
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Likelihood to Recommend Mended Hearts
Cardiac cath /
Angioplasty (no stent)
20
40
60
Likelihood
to%Recommend
Mended
Hearts
Extremely likely (5)
Pulmonary embolism
Other
%
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Patient Satisfaction with Mended Hearts
Approximately 30 days post-discharge from the visit
where they met with the Mended Hearts visitor, patients
are overall very satisfied with Mended Hearts. This is
true for both the encounter with their Mended Hearts
visitor, as well as for the Mended Hearts educational
materials that they received. More than 9 out of 10
patients (92%) are extremely/very likely to recommend
Mended Hearts to another patient like themselves.
80
100
20
40
60
80
100
(4) %
Extremely likely (5)
(3)
(4)
(2)
Not at all likely (3)
(1)
(2)
Patient
Engagement
with Mended Hearts
No answer
Not at all likely (1)
%
20
40
60 been contacted
80
100 by
Sixty-six
percent of respondents
have
No answer
Mended Hearts
after20 their discharge.
%
40
60 Slightly
80 more100than
half (52%) have become a member of Mended Hearts.
Contact by Mended Hearts After Discharge?
% by10
20 Hearts
30
40
60
70
Contact
Mended
After50Discharge?
80
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Become
Mended
% a Member
10
20 of30
40 Hearts?
50
60
70
80
% a Member
10
30 Hearts?
40
Become
of20Mended
50
60
Yes
Yes
Your Visit With Mended Hearts Volunteer
Extremely satisfied (5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
Not at all satisfied (1)
Not sure
No answer
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
No
Not sure
Not sure
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Mended Hearts Educational Materials
Extremely satisfied (5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
Not at all satisfied (1)
Not sure
No answer
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
30
40
50
60
80
%
20
40
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
20
60
40
20
30
40
80
60
50
60
Not sure
Not sure
No answer
80
70
100
No answer
100
Spring 2015
Contact by Mended Hearts After Discharge?
Yes
20
No
%
10
10
No
Likelihood to Recommend Mended Hearts
%
Yes%
Yes
%
Extremely likely (5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
Not at all likely (1)
No answer
No
80
13
F E AT U R E
Visiting
Has Its
Benefits
A new study shows that Mended
Hearts visitors report improved
quality of life and lower symptoms
of anxiety and depression.
By Peggy A. Thoits, PhD
D
Peggy Thoits, Ph.D.
14
Spring 2015
o people who spend more time volunteering
enjoy better quality of life and wellbeing? Does
volunteering provide benefits to some groups more
than others? What explains the positive effects of
volunteer visiting on people’s lives?
These were some of the questions to be answered by the
collaborative research project between Mended Hearts and
Peggy Thoits, Ph.D. member of Chapter 78, Indianapolis, and
Professor of Sociology at Indiana University in 2011.
The project unfolded in two stages. In the first stage, a
random sample of Mended Hearts chapters across the nation
was selected. Visiting chairs distributed questionnaires to
their visitors that queried about quality of life and wellbeing.
In the second stage, participants who were willing to be
interviewed by telephone were asked about the reasons they
visit, the types of support they give to patients and families
Background of Visitors
Participating in Survey
Here is a quick summary of the characteristics of the survey
respondents:
■■ The average age was 73, with ages ranging from 41 to 91.
■■ 96 percent described themselves as white and non-Hispanic.
■■ About 60 percent were men.
■■ On average, participants had some years of college; 46
percent had earned a college degree or more.
■■ The majority were married: 77 percent.
■■ 23 percent were employed either full-time or part-time.
■■ On average, respondents reported no financial difficulties or only occasional difficulties, so in general were
middle-class.
■■ The majority were patient visitors: 87 percent.
■■ Study participants had been Mended Hearts members
about eight years, ranging from four months to 36 years.
■■ Visitors spent an average of three hours per week visiting,
with a range from zero (due to illness, traveling, or work
demands) to 23 hours.
■■ 85 percent volunteered for at least one other organization
(including church), so were very committed to volunteer
work in general.
that are most helpful, and the meaning that visiting has in
their lives.
This report focuses on the responses to the questionnaire.
Of the 70 chapters that took part in the study, 52 percent of
their visitors returned questionnaires (a total of 458 visitors).
Although this rate of participation means that the study results
cannot be generalized to the entire population of Mended
Hearts visitors, the findings do yield insight into the main
questions of the project.
Visiting’s Effect on Quality of Life and Wellbeing
Researchers commonly use two measures of subjective quality of
life: satisfaction with one’s life in general and overall happiness.
The concept of wellbeing includes several aspects of mental and
physical health, including high self-esteem, a strong sense of
control over life, low levels of psychological distress and good
physical health. The questionnaires assessed all of these elements.
Surprisingly, the numbers of hours people spent visiting
per week were not associated with a higher quality of life or
greater wellbeing. Those who spent one hour a week, those
who spent 10 hours, and still others who spent 20 hours
were equally satisfied, happy and healthy. It is not the total
number of hours that one invests that appears to matter for
these positive outcomes.
In general, visitors scored very positively on all life quality
and wellbeing indicators:
■■ For life satisfaction, visitors averaged 4.6 on a 5-point scale
(high satisfaction)
■■ For happiness, the average was 4.5 on a 5-point scale (very
happy)
■■ For self-esteem, the score was 3.7 on a 4-point scale (very
high self-esteem)
■■ For sense of control, visitors averaged 3.3 on a 4-point scale
(strong sense of control over life)
■■ For psychological distress, they scored .21 on a 0 to 4-point
scale (virtually no distress)
■■ For physical health, visitors averaged 3 on a 4-point scale
(good, but not excellent, health)
Overall, visitors in the study reported a fine quality of life and
enjoyed good mental and physical health that did not vary with
the numbers of hours they usually spent visiting.
Does Visiting Benefit Some Groups
More Than Others?
Considerable social research has documented the positive
mental and physical health consequences of doing volunteer
work. Few investigators, however, have examined whether
volunteer activities benefit some types of people more than
others. Many researchers have claimed that volunteerism fills
gaps in people’s lives left by being single, widowed, or retired.
If this claim were true, then never married, previously married,
and retired individuals should spend more time visiting and gain
greater satisfaction and wellbeing from their service activities
than married and employed persons.
As it turns out, unmarried persons do not spend more hours
visiting than married persons. However, visitors who are unemployed do invest significantly more time, an average of 45
minutes more each week than those who are working for pay.
Do those who are unmarried and retired get greater life
satisfaction, happiness, self-esteem, sense of control, and physical
health from their time spent visiting, while also experiencing
lower psychological distress? The answer once again is a surprising “no.” The idea that volunteer work somehow makes up
for the lack of marriage or employment roles is not supported.
Unmarried and married persons gain similar life quality and
wellbeing benefits from their visiting hours, as do retired and
employed persons.
Further analysis showed that only one group profited more
from Mended Hearts visiting: relatively younger adults,
compared to older adults. With greater numbers of hours spent
at the hospital or rehab unit, relatively younger adults (79 or
younger) had significantly higher self-esteem, a stronger sense
of mastery, and less psychological distress than older adults
(80 and older) who volunteered the same number of hours. It
seems plausible that a busy visiting schedule combined with
advanced age takes a toll on individuals’ overall wellbeing.
Spring 2015
15
Mean Purpose and Meaning in Life
Believing that one matters to other people in turn fosters
a strong sense of having purpose and meaning in one’s life:
5.50
5.25
5.00
4.75
4.50
2.00
3.20
3.60
4.00
Sense of Mattering to Others
9.00
And finally, the more purpose and meaning in life, the
greater one’s quality of life and wellbeing. The following three
graphs show the association of purpose and meaning with
greater life satisfaction, better health, and lower psychological
distress, as examples:
8.50
8.00
5.0
7.50
7.00
0-1
2-4
5-6
7-8
Hours Spent Visiting
9-10+
Next, the greater the importance attached to the visitor role,
the more participants believed they mattered to other people
in general. This can be seen in the following graph:
Mean Life Satisfaction
Mean Importance of Visitor Role
9.50
Mean Sense of Mattering to Others
F E AT U R E
What Explains These Effects?
As described earlier, the number of hours invested in visiting
did not predict participants’ overall quality of life or wellbeing.
If the time spent doing this volunteer work does not explain
visitors’ obviously good quality of life and robust mental and
physical health, what might explain these outcomes?
Research on volunteering suggests that the importance
people attach to their service activities and the meanings they
derive from this work may play a role. And indeed, upon
investigation, this is what the survey data showed. In fact, an
unfolding cascade of effects was found.
First, the more hours invested in Mended Hearts visiting,
the more participants viewed their visitor role as important to
them. The graph below shows the average importance attached
to the visitor identity by the number of hours individuals usually
spent visiting each week
4.8
4.6
4.4
4.2
3.75
4.0
3.50
3.0
4.0
5.25
5.5
Purpose and Meaning in Life
6.0
3.25
3.00
2.75
4
16
5
6
7
8
9
Importance of Visitor Identity
Spring 2015
10
An important role leads to a sense
of mattering, mattering leads to a
sense of purpose and meaning in life,
and having a strong sense of purpose
and meaning results in positive life
quality and wellbeing.
Mean Physical Health
3.4
3.2
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.4
3.0
4.0
5.25
5.5
Purpose and Meaning in Life
6.0
Mean Psychological Distress
.50
.40
.30
Lynn Pridgen, visiting chair for Chapter 142 in Plano, Texas, says he sees personal benefits
from visiting and encouraging heart patients at The Medical Center of Plano.
.20
.10
.00
3.0
4.0
5.25
5.5
Purpose and Meaning in Life
6.0
In short, volunteer visiting with patients and their families results in significantly higher quality of life and superior
emotional and physical health when individuals view their
visitor role as important to them. All else follows from that: An
important role leads to a sense of mattering, mattering leads
to a sense of purpose and meaning in life, and having a strong
sense of purpose and meaning results in positive life quality
and wellbeing.
So what sets this cascade of influences in motion? The number
of hours a person usually spends in volunteer visiting. The more
hours invested, the more important the visitor role seems to
the individual, and good consequences unfold from there.
This study is perhaps the first to uncover how and why
volunteer work has positive effects on the quality of life and
health of volunteers: It’s not the number of hours spent that
directly enhances one’s life, but the importance, meaning, and
purpose that one extracts from hours invested in helpful work.
Of course, it is plausible that this cascade of effects could
be reversed in sequence: Those who have good quality of life
and wellbeing may feel their lives are filled with purpose and
meaning which also fosters the belief that they matter to other
people. Mattering to others makes the visitor role seem very
important to fulfill. The more important the visitor role, then
the more hours a person will invest in visiting.
Research suggests that effects can work in both directions,
from having wellbeing to giving more volunteer hours and
from giving more volunteer hours to gaining more positive
wellbeing. The key contribution of this study is to suggest
that the importance attached to the volunteer role, a sense of
mattering to others, and a belief that one’s life has purpose and
meaning help to link the hours spent in volunteer activities with
individuals’ quality of life, mental health, and physical health.
These study findings may not surprise Mended Hearts visitors
who know from personal experience how and why their lives are
enhanced by their visiting activities. But these results will offer
new information to social scientists and medical practitioners
that help to explain the many benefits that are known to flow
from doing volunteer work in general.
Peggy A. Thoits, Ph.D., is a member of Chapter 78, Indianapolis/
Circle City. She is the Virginia L. Roberts Professor of Sociology
at Indiana University, Bloomington. Her research focuses on the
distributions of stress in the adult population, the damaging effects
of stressful experiences on people’s physical and mental health,
and the sources and types of social support that counteract these
harmful effects of stress.
Spring 2015
17
F E AT U R E
For the generationOn Joy Maker Challenge, Serena Catabia with the Rhode Island MLH
chapter built a wooden toy chest with the help of her father and grandfather. She and
fellow MLH youth members helped paint the chest and fill it with toys for their local
pediatric heart clinic.
Participants in the MLH chapter
in Richmond, Va., made artwork
to help spruce up the office of a
cardiology practice that serves
pediatric patients.
MLH kids, tweens and teens step
up to help CHD families during a
nationwide service campaign.
By Maria Carter
I
f anyone knows what it’s like to rely on the kindness
of strangers, congenital heart disease families do. Whether
it’s the nurse who cracks a joke during a tough moment
or a nonprofit that brings you a bag full of helpful items
during your hospital stay, community support can ease the
stress of a medical emergency.
It’s the memory of these acts of kindness that struck a chord with
some of Mended Little Heart’s youngest members when they were
approached by youth volunteer organization generationOn last
fall. MLH agreed to join the organization’s Joy Maker Challenge,
a holiday volunteering initiative that connects students in grades
K-12 to hands-on service projects from Nov. 10 through Dec. 19.
Overall, 9 MLH chapters from eight states, 72 kids and teens,
18
Spring 2015
heeded the call. Their efforts brought in nearly 300 donations
for Toys for Tots and benefitted local children’s hospitals,
Ronald McDonald House Charities, and more.
‘Season of Service’
“The Joy Maker Challenge is positioned to both inspire kids to
step up and volunteer within their school and communities, and
also equip them with planning tools, project ideas, and stories
of other kids and the work they’re doing in their communities,”
says Daniel Horgan, executive director of generationOn.
“Around the holidays, kids, parents and teachers are often
looking for ways to give back to the community — it’s what
we call the ‘Season of Service,’” he adds.
By the Numbers
Here’s a look at how MLH chapters participated in generationOn’s
Joy Maker Challenge.
9 local MLH chapters were involved
8 states were represented
72 kids and teens volunteered
2 official Joy Maker Challenge ambassadors
2 chapters awarded Runners Up finalists
272 toys donated
$500 in grants received
The Joy Maker Challenge is an annual event now going on its
6th year, yet 2014 was MLH’s first time participating. Former
MLH National Conference keynote speaker Jennifer Page put
the two organizations in touch. Page’s son Max — best known
for his role as “mini Darth Vader” in a Super Bowl commercial
for Volkswagen — has Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart
defect that affects the function of his pulmonary valve. He’s
also a celebrity ambassador for generationOn.
“Jennifer’s amazing about figuring out where people fit well
together,” says MLH national program director Jodi Lemacks.
“She saw that Mended Little Hearts is about kids empowering
other kids, families helping families, and that’s what the Joy
Maker Challenge is about.”
Doubling the Impact
Hasbro Toys sponsored the challenge: For every act of service
registered with generationOn, Hasbro donated a toy or game
to Toys for Tots on a national level, up to $1 million dollars’
worth. “Essentially they’re doubling their impact,” Horgan
says. “It’s a very cool one-to-one match.”
MLH’s official Joy Maker Challenge Ambassadors — Allison Hageman, 17, of Little Rock, and Serena Catabia, 12, of
Rhode Island — each received 100 Hasbro toys to gift to the
charity of their choice. Hageman split her donation between
Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald
House, and Catabia gave hers to a pediatric heart clinic in
Providence.
For the service component of the challenge, MLH’s youth
chose projects in areas they felt most passionate about. “What’s
unique about Joy Maker is that kids can do anything,” Horgan
says. There are no parameters on the type of volunteer work
participants can pursue — it’s up to the students to decide
how they want to spend their time and resources, and what
community service means to them.
Samuel Walker, 10, and Elizabeth Liddell, 13, in Winston-Salem, N.C., chose to collect food
and toiletry items for the Ronald McDonald room at their local children’s hospital.
A Theme Emerges
Although MLH chapters chose their projects individually, a
theme emerged. While participants representing other organizations served meals at homeless shelters, spruced up public
spaces, and spent time at nursing homes, MLH’s youth chose to
help children and families facing long hours in doctors’ offices
and hospital rooms — an experience they know all too well.
Elizabeth Liddell, 13, and Samuel Walker, 10, in Winston-Salem, N.C., chose to collect food and toiletry items for
the Ronald McDonald room at their local children’s hospital.
“They remember their own parents staying in that room,” says
Valerie King, lead coordinator of the Winston-Salem chapter,
speaking of the accommodations funded by the burger chain’s
charity so parents of patients can rest under the same roof as
their kids.
Liddell and Walker considered service projects such as collecting blankets or doing a Bravery Bag drive but ultimately
decided they wanted to give back to the Ronald McDonald
House. The thought of all the little things families need but
often don’t get when they’re at the hospital was a driving factor.
“There was no push from their parents,” King says. “They
decided on their own.”
Walker, who is home-schooled, reached out to churches and
businesses in his hometown of King, N.C., collecting two red
wagons’ worth of non-perishable grocery items.
Liddell went to her school and her parents’ workplaces for
the help with the cause. Her school rallied behind her, getting
“There was no push
from their parents.
They decided on their own.”
— Valerie King,
lead coordinator of the
Winston-Salem
Mended Little Hearts group
Spring 2015
19
Members of the South Central Illinois MLH chapter made dozens of no-sew fleece blankets for children in hospitals.
“It’s groups like MLH that have
organized their national chapters to
participate that really have helped us
to gain momentum and create that
bigger impact in the community.”
— Daniel Horgan,
executive director of generationOn
the word out and soliciting donations on Liddell’s behalf. The
request spread quickly and supplies poured in. Someone at
the school connected with Delta Airlines, which then sent a
jumbo-sized box of personal toiletry kits, each packed with a
sleep mask, toothbrush and toothpaste — perfect staples for
air travel and, more importantly, sleepless hospital stays. By the
end of the challenge, Liddell had collected five grocery carts of
food and personal items to restock the Ronald McDonald room.
Role Models for Younger Kids
King says Liddell and Walker are role models who come to
Want More?
Daniel Horgan’s Group will team up with MLH by hosting a
Kids’ Camp for kids ages 5-8 during Saturday of the 1½-day
national CHD Symposium in Orlando, Fla. on June 26-27.
The Kids’ Camp is designed to empower kids and teens to
recognize their leadership potential. Kids will do a service
project for Give Kids the World — and have fun, too.
20
Spring 2015
every MLH activity and talk with the younger kids. “Our
5- and 6-year-olds look up to them,” she says.
MLH chapters elsewhere pursued their own channels of
generosity. The Richmond, Va., group wanted to make a local
cardiologist’s office more kid-friendly for young patients facing
scary appointments, so they created colorful art pieces to spruce
up its waiting room and cardiac catheterization lab.
Another group, South Central Illinois, made dozens of no-sew
fleece blankets for children in hospitals. Serena Catabia built a
wooden toy chest with the help of her father and grandfather;
fellow MLH youth members helped paint the chest and fill it
with toys for their local pediatric heart clinic.
Breaking Records
Post-campaign, the good will keeps on going. Two MLH groups,
Winston-Salem and Rhode Island, were chosen as runners up
and granted $250 toward continuing their community service.
King says her chapter’s grant will go directly to CHD patients:
“Ninety percent of our funds go back to our families, through
Bravery Bags, supplies at medical centers, and social events.”
MLH assisted generationOn in achieving record-breaking
numbers, too. The organization’s goal was to mobilize 100,000
kids across the country during the 2014 campaign; they ended
the campaign with the participation of more than 129,000 kids.
“It’s groups like MLH that have organized their national
chapters to participate that really have helped us to gain momentum and create that bigger impact in the community,”
Horgan says.
Maria Carter is a health and lifestyle writer living in New York City.
She has contributed to more than 40 different publications including
Vegetarian Times, the L.A. Times, MensJournal.com, and more. Visit
her online at mariacarter.net.
F E AT U R E
Little Hearts,
Big Ambition
As Mended Little Hearts expands
nationally, a new team of Assistant
Regional Directors makes sure
things run smoothly at the
community level.
By Maria Carter
N
ot long ago, support groups for parents of
children with congenital heart defects were few
and far between. Leslie Sams found herself “in a
whirlwind” of medical information and difficult
emotions after the birth of her son, Caleb, now age 5. Caleb
has transposition of the great arteries — a rare heart defect
requiring immediate medical attention that had not been
diagnosed prenatally. “I was looking for support,” Sams says.
“There wasn’t a lot in Cincinnati.”
Although MLH spans more than 85 groups in 33 states, too
many CHD parents still find themselves in situations that mirror
Sams’ experience. MLH leaders hope to reconcile that — soon.
How will this happen? More regional support, for starters.
Last August, MLH leaders took a big step by creating a new
volunteer position to serve local chapters. They appointed
eight assistant regional directors, including Sams (Central
region) and Julia Rowbotham (Northeast), each tasked with
the shepherding of eight to 18 local groups.
Who’s Your ARD?
Region
ARD Email Address
Northeast
Julia Rowbotham [email protected]
Mid-Atlantic Lauri Tamberrino [email protected]
Southern
Dana Hageman [email protected]
Central Leslie Sams
[email protected]
Rocky Mountains Angie Wickersham [email protected]
Western
Nicole Sanchez [email protected]
Midwest
AndreaHimmelberger [email protected]
Check out our Regional Map on page 2 to find out who your Assistant
Regional Director is.
Leslie Sams, right, is one of eight Mended Little Hearts volunteers filling the new role of
assistant regional director. Here, she brings Bravery Bags to patients in the Cardiovascular ICU.
How Your ARD Can Help
Encouragement. Sams calls herself a “cheerleader” for the
coordinators in her region. “The groups I’m working with
are already doing great work, so a lot of what I’m doing
is just being in their
corner” and expressing gratitude for their
efforts.
■■ Group development.
AR Ds assist with
the formation of
new groups as well
as development of
already-established
groups. One of the
groups Sams supports
had gone through a Julia Rowbotham, assistant regional director for the
dormant phase and Northeast and lead coordinator for the MLH Philawas just getting back delphia Region, stands with her family — Jeremy,
Violet, Dale and Bob — at the Delaware Valley
on track when she Lily,
Congenital Heart Walk.
became ARD. “I’ve
been... encouraging them to get started again,” she says.
■■ Meeting attendance. Families affected by CHD are busy.
“We have children with special needs, and many of us work
full-time jobs as well,” says Rowbotham, who’s also lead
coordinator of the Philadelphia region and mom of Lily, age
8, who has hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Low attendance
at support meetings is a common challenge. Rowbotham
says that, sometimes, not having a meeting at all is best.
Connecting over social media and email and hosting family-friendly events are often better for reaching members.
■■ Connecting with national. ARDs add “another layer of
communication for national efforts,” says Sams. “I encourage
local leaders to promote national events. It’s also a great opportunity to let national leadership know what’s happening
here — some of the local groups are doing awesome things.”
■■
Maria Carter is a health and lifestyle writer living in New York City.
She has contributed to more than 40 different publications including
Vegetarian Times, the L.A. Times, MensJournal.com and more. Visit
her online at mariacarter.net.
Spring 2015
21
F E AT U R E
SNL Alum, Golf Legend Team
Up to Help Mended Hearts
When people view new videos of Kevin
Nealon and Arnold Palmer talking about
heart disease, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.,
will make a donation to Mended Hearts.
By Heartbeat Editors
A
rnold Palmer is one of the world’s greatest
professional golfers; Kevin Nealon is one of his
generation’s acclaimed actors/comedians. Though
seemingly worlds apart, they’ve experienced conditions that raise their chances for developing blood clots and/or
having a stroke. The unlikely duo has set out to inspire people
to understand the importance of prevention and treatment
— and their efforts will earn a donation to Mended Hearts.
They’ve teamed up with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., to
raise awareness about deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, which is
when a blood clot forms in a deep vein in the body, and atrial
fibrillation, or AFib, an irregular heartbeat that puts people with
the condition at a five times greater risk for having a blood clot
that could cause a stroke. Videos featuring their own personal
stories are on www.Drive4Clots.com, and for every view they
receive, Janssen will make a donation to Mended Hearts.
‘Being an Athlete Doesn’t Make You Immune’
Palmer is one of up to 900,000 Americans who have experienced
a blood clot caused by DVT. As many as 300,000 people die
every year from the condition.
“I’m fortunate that my DVT was diagnosed and treated before
it led to something even more serious,” Palmer said. “Being an
athlete or an active person doesn’t make you immune to blood
clots. They can happen to anyone at any time.”
Always quick to make a joke, Kevin Nealon chalked up his
first symptoms of non-valvular AFib to a pounding heart that
came from trying to impress his future wife.
Fast Heart Beat Was No Joke
“We were on vacation, and I was attempting to ignore the age
difference between us by acting energetic — playing volleyball,
water skiing, and only resting for short naps,” said Nealon,
who’s best known as a cast member of Saturday Night Live
from 1986 to 1995. “Suddenly, I couldn’t keep up anymore.
My heart was beating so fast that I became concerned and had
to see the hotel doctor. I was later diagnosed with AFib, and
quickly realized it was no laughing matter.”
22
Spring 2015
Symptoms of AFib
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
Palpitations (feelings that your heart is skipping a beat)
Shortness of breath
Weakness or problems exercising
Chest pain
Dizziness, fainting or fatigue
Confusion
Steps for decreasing your risk
of developing a DVT-PE
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
If you’re sitting for a long period of time, get up and
stretch your legs.
See your doctor for regular checkups.
Don’t smoke, and keep a healthy weight.
Wear compression stockings as directed by your doctor.
Take all medicines that your doctor prescribes to treat
blood clots.
Both Palmer and Nealon were told by their doctors that they
needed to take a blood thinner to prevent future clots from
forming. They also learned that there are treatment options
available that don’t require regular blood monitoring or carry
any known dietary restrictions.
“Arnold and I worked closely with our doctors to find a
treatment that was right for us,” said Nealon. “For people
with AFib or DVT who are at risk for blood clots and need to
be on blood thinners, talk to your doctors to understand the
options and the benefits and risks of treatment.”
Heart Disease Doesn’t Discriminate
“Blood clots do not discriminate based on age, sex, fame or
lifestyle,” said Michele Packard-Milam, CAE, executive director
of Mended Hearts. “We encourage people to visit the website,
learn about DVT and AFib, and help raise money that will
make a difference for the millions of Americans living with
or who are at risk for blood clots and stroke.”
Visit www.Drive4Clots.com for more information.
H IESATROTRTI C
OAHL EHAERATR T S
Mended Hearts Chapter Anniversaries
June – August 2015
45 years
Dayton, OH · Chapter 61 · Central Region
40 years
San Mateo County, CA · Chapter 26 · Western Region
25 years
Joliet, IL · Chapter 129 · Midwest Region
20 years
Calumet/Munster, IN · Chapter 268 · Central Region
Charleston, SC · Chapter 266 · Mid-Atlantic Region
15 years
Montgomery, AL · Chapter 83 · Southern Region
10 years
Barrington, IL · Chapter 337 · Midwest Region
5 years
New Albany, IN · Chapter 366 · Central Region
St. Charles County/St. Peters, MO · Chapter 369 · Midwest Region
Suffern, NY · Chapter 368 · Northeast Region
Wakefield/South County, RI · Chapter 365 · Northeast Region
Mended Little Hearts Anniversaries
June - August 2015
5 years
Mended Little Hearts of Colorado Springs, CO · Southwest Region
Mended Little Hearts of Sacramento, CA · Western Region
Mended Little Hearts of Western, NY · Northeast Region
Speakers
Bureau
M
ended Hearts is dedicated to
educating its members and other audiences on preventing and coping with
heart disease, including congenital
heart defects. One of the ways we do this is through
our Speakers Bureau.
Trained members of our Speakers Bureau are
available to speak about heart disease and heart
health, along with the programs and services that are
offered by Mended Hearts. We do this for national,
state and local organizations; hospitals; civic groups;
schools; companies; and other groups interested in
hearing from experienced speakers on a variety of
topics related to heart disease.
To request a speaker for your
group, please contact Mended
Hearts at 1-888-HEART99
(1-888- 432-7899) or at
[email protected].
Spring 2015
23
CHAPTERS ON THE MOVE
The Secret to Gastonia
Chapter’s Success?
Good Old-Fashioned Face-to-Face Interaction
By Kimberly Turner
M
ended Hearts Chapter 379 of Gastonia,
Gastonia gets a lot of love from the community in the form
North Carolina, is not just a chapter, it’s a tightof financial support too, and that allows them to carry out
knit community of friends and neighbors. They
some unique assistance programs. Take, for example, their
conduct their hospital visits in pairs, making sure
exceptionally successful scholarship program. In just three
to vary the combinations of people so that everyone meets and
years, the scholarship for first-time and continuing nursing
gets to know one another. They focus
students has grown from a fund of $3,500
their newsletter on hometown stories, “We have so many visitors a year to around $15,000 to $16,000 for
sharing personal anecdotes from memEight nursing students received
for just one hospital, so 2015.
bers and articles written by the medical
scholarships in 2014. Gastonia also
staff at local CaroMont Regional Medical each visitor only visits one coordinates an annual Heart Walk, a
Center. (“Why would I want to go outfor the Money race (which raised
or two times a month. That Run
side the local chapter for our news when
$5,150 for last year’s scholarship), and a
way, it’s not a burden on cardiac rehab assistance program that
we have so many interesting people with
stories to tell?” asks Chapter President
patients who would not otherwise
them, but it is enough to helps
Jake Gray.) And they hold enough lakebe able to afford their deductibles. “We
keep them engaged.”
side picnics, golf tournaments, walks with
have a lot of contributors,” says Gray,
docs, and other fun events that it would
“We’ve gotta spend the money. People
—
Chapter
President
be easy to assume that they’re too busy
give us money and we are always trying
Jake Gray
socializing to get much else done — but
to find the very best ways to spend it.”
nothing could be further from the truth.
Chapter 379 is, in short, remarkably
To call the Gastonia chapter productive would be a massive
inspiring. So how do they do it? The old-fashioned way. The
understatement. In less than four years, the busy young chapter
chapter does not have a fancy website, an active online comhas managed to sign up more than 125 people and gather
munity, or even a social media presence… but then again, they
more than 60 accredited visitors. Even more remarkable,
evidently don’t need it. “If I want you to know about something,
those enthusiastic visitors logged an impressive 1,921 visits in
I’ll call you or email you.” And he does exactly that. Turns out,
2014. In a single month (December 2014), they visited 215
you don’t have to use social media and technology if you have
patients and their families, including 155 first-time visits and
an army of caring and dedicated men and women on your side.
50 follow-ups, and handed out 91 HeartPacks with information
“We’ve got a great membership,” says Gray. “They are very
on heart procedures, recovery suggestions, rehab benefits, and
motivated. We have so many visitors for just one hospital, so
caregiver guidelines. And that’s not all: The chapter managed
each visitor only visits one or two times a month. That way, it’s
to turn in so many surveys to Mended Hearts national that
not a burden on them, but it is enough to keep them engaged.
they were able to earn a four-night hotel stay to the national
And we have good attendance at our regular chapter meetings.
conference being held from June 24 through June 27 in Orlando,
People just really care about what we’re doing. It’s a good mission
Florida, for one member.
for them, and we continue to try to recruit new members and
24
Spring 2015
CHAPTERS ON THE MOVE
Visitors with the Gastonia, North Carolina, chapter logged 1,921 visits in 2014. They
conduct hospital visitations in pairs, making sure to vary the combinations of people so
that everyone meets and gets to know one another.
In 2014, the Gastonia chapter awarded scholarships to eight nursing students. From left
to right, top: Susan Murphy and Jim Pass (Mended Hearts), Kimberly McCraw. Bottom:
Lenora McIntyre, Kaegan Arrendale, Samantha Dover, Stephanie Bridges, and Jake Gray
(Mended Hearts). Not pictured are winners Shasta Pruitt and Anita Dennis.
new visitors all the time. We are our own little community.”
Hearts volunteers goes beyond simply providing support to
CaroMont Regional Medical Center — the hospital that
people who have or will be undergoing cardiac procedures. By
is served by Chapter 379 — makes it easy to recruit those
hearing advice from the perspective of someone who has been
new members and visitors. “The people
there, patients are more likely to take a
“The value of Mended
we visit in the hospital get interested in
positive approach to their heart disease,
Mended Hearts. Remember now that
cardiac rehabilitation, and begin
Hearts volunteers goes attend
we’re not working with a destination
living a new and healthier lifestyle.”
hospital; we’re in a community hospital, beyond simply providing
Jake Gray has been involved with the
so most of the patients are from this area
burgeoning chapter from its very first day.
support to people who
in North Carolina,” explains Gray. “So
He was recruited by a friend, a CaroMont
have or will be undergo- cardiac nurse, while he was in rehab after
we know that when we visit somebody,
we are generally going to see them again.
undergoing a bypass surgery just a few
ing
cardiac
procedures.”
And therefore, it is easier to recruit and
weeks prior to his seventieth birthday.
— Gary Mims, cardiac
engage members than it would be in a
He agreed to make the first visits, and
hospital that’s a destination where people
three weeks later, his friend/nurse
rehabilitation manager at just
are coming from far away to have their
asked him to be president of the new
CaroMont Regional
surgery or whatever. It has worked out
organization. “She’s the kind of gal you
very well. It’s a nice thing. The membercan’t say no to,” he laughs. “All of our
Medical Center
ship, they’re just great. We have people
members just love the cardiac rehab staff
doing some wonderful work.”
to death. I mean, they’re just the greatest.”
CaroMont and its patients are benefiting tremendously from
These days, the Mended Hearts chapter conducts visits six
the work of the Gastonia chapter, but that’s only fair because
days a week and does special drop-ins (with special goodie
they actually helped to make it a reality. While the majority
bags for both patients and staff members) on major holidays.
of Mended Hearts chapters are founded by heart patients or
Gastonia has recently been able to put all heart patients of any
their caregivers, Gastonia’s chapter was the brainchild of the
type on their visit list, a move that gives them the opportunity
medical center staff. “We’re a unique chapter because the hospital
to help many more people with heart disease.
went out seeking a Mended Hearts chapter, rather than the
Kimberly Turner is a writer and editor who has written for dozens
other way around,” recalls Gray. “They initiated the process,
of publications in the U.S. and Australia. She has served as associate
and it just grew from there. It was quite a cooperative thing…
editor of Curbed Atlanta, managing editor of Atlanta magazine,
and still is to this day. They really are 100 percent behind our
and managing editor of multiple titles at Australia’s second-largest
chapter and our work.”
magazine publisher. Currently, she is editorial director of WellATL,
Gary Mims, cardiac rehabilitation manager at CaroMont
an online health and wellness publication she cofounded.
understands the chapter’s importance: “The value of Mended
Spring 2015
25
R E G I O N A L U P D AT E
Mended Little Hearts
Groups on the Move:
Little Rock, Arkansas
With solid connections to each other online, a group of parents with
children who have CHDs decide to form a MLH group. And two years
later, they’re steadily growing.
By Kimberly Turner
F
ounder and outgoing lead coordinator Dana
Brock Hageman — who is now both advocacy and
outreach coordinator for MLH of Little Rock and
assistant director of the Southern region — organized
and ran an online support group for parents of children with
congenital heart defects for several months before realizing that
they needed more resources. “Mended Little Hearts national
offered a lot of benefits,” she explains. “They had already done
all the base work, so why reinvent the wheel? It was nice having
a nationally recognized name and a group with infrastructure
that we could turn to when we had questions that we couldn’t
answer.”
Hageman credits that pre-charter work and online support
group with some of the MLH of Little Rock’s success and rapid
growth. “We already had the outreach and contacts with other
parents before we even started, so I’d like to say we’ve gotten
through our growth phase fairly quickly, but I’m sure there’s
more to come. I just really think we’ve been fortunate to have
cooperation and coordination from the start.”
A (Mostly) Virtual Network
The virtual genesis of MLH Little Rock is fitting because even
today, thanks to the group’s expansive coverage area, much of
their work does not occur face-to-face. Most visits happen via
phone call or online because their local hospital does not allow
in-person visits — at least not yet. Incoming lead coordinator
Erica O’Neill says, “That’s one of the things that makes us
unique. As of right now, the hospital isn’t on board with us, but
26
Spring 2015
Family outings like this Pumpkin Patch & Hayride Day allow MLH of Little Rock kids to see
that they’re not alone in living with a CHD.
we have still been able to succeed and touch so many people’s
lives all over the state.”
Hageman elaborates: “It’s against the hospital rules for us
to just reach out to parents because they have a child in the
hospital. They have to find us — but we are working on that.
I meet with a lot of parents, usually after they are out of the
hospital and out of that immediately critical stage.”
In addition to meetings every other month, which not
every member can get to because of the distance, the group
has plenty of other activities throughout the year. They work
with the American Heart Association on a Heart Walk and on
a sister event called Hearts on Wheels that focuses specifically
on congenital heart defects. The Hearts on Wheels tricycle race
R E G I O N A L U P D AT E
pits cardiologists against the kids. According to Hageman,
“It gives the cardiologists a chance to see our children when
they’re not in a clinic setting — to see them how they are on
a normal day-to-day basis — and it gives us a chance to meet
the cardiologists when they’re not wrapped up in white coats.
It brings it down to a more personal level.”
Swapping Stories About the ‘Zipper’
The group also holds holiday parties and events such as outings
to minor league baseball games. O’Neill says the ball game
social will be something they do again in 2015. “It was great
because it got the dads involved as well,” she says. For the last
two years, MLH of Little Rock has also hosted a Halloween
pumpkin patch/hay ride day. Events like these let kids get
together and see that they are not the only one with that big
scar they call “The Zipper” or with a story about undergoing
a catheter procedure. They also allow parents to ask all those
nagging little questions that they wonder about every day.
Hageman says, “It’s really easy for a parent in that position to
think, ‘I’m going crazy’ or ‘I’m being paranoid’ until you come
together with all these other parents who say, ‘No, that’s not
paranoid. That’s just your new normal.’”
Hageman understands the concerns and stresses associated
with having a child with congenital heart defects all too well.
Two of her children were born with pulmonary atresia with
intact ventricular septum. Without pulmonary valves, they
started turning blue as soon as they were born and were quickly
whisked away for surgeries that Hageman was warned that they
had only a 50 percent chance of surviving. She was told that her
daughter, now 17 years old, had a 40 percent chance of making
it to age 5 and that her son, now 7, had a 60 percent chance.
Rethinking ‘Picture Perfect’
“I think a lot of parents suffer from basically a form of post-traumatic stress disorder,” she says. “They are thrown from, ‘Okay,
we’re going to the hospital to have a baby!’ to all of a sudden,
‘We’re not going home. We’re going to another hospital.’ You’re
in this extreme situation where you have to make decisions
you’ve never thought about — never knew about — and
then when you get home, you expect everything to go back
to that perfect picture life, but it’s not there. You don’t go into
surgery, go home, and you’re all done. It’s not something that
just goes away. It’s life changing. There’s a lot of stress involved
in that, and a lot of parents reach out for coping mechanisms
that aren’t the best for them because they just don’t have other
options, so I think our support group gives them somewhere
safe to go and hopefully helps them through that without the
other options.”
MLH of Little Rock families gathered at their local Ronald McDonald House for a holiday party.
“I tell parents that there’s hope,” she says. “It’s there. Mine
have made it through. All the procedures are improving. All
the statistics are improving. I basically just tell them not to
give up. I know I can’t tell them that it’s all going to be okay
because I’ve seen the situations where it’s not all okay, but I
can tell them there’s hope.”
And often, it is the adults who need the most reassurance.
“Kids are very resilient,” says Hageman. “ Adults are… well,
we’re very worry-prone. It’s hard enough worrying about normal
risks, but when there are additional risks added on, it takes
worry to a whole new level. Especially as they become teenagers,
you have to tell them that drinking could be an added danger,
drugs could be an added danger, pregnancy could be an added
danger, even more so than you would with a normal child.
Yet you don’t want to walk around telling them, ‘Your heart
could kill you any minute.’ That’s not the message you want
to convey.”
“You want to stop all that hurt and all that danger, but you
can’t always do it because you can’t lock them in the basement,”
she jokes. “It’s not allowed… as much as you might want to.”
As for the kids, Hageman’s 17-year-old may have put it
best when she was put on the spot and asked in front of a
group of people what it was like to live with congenital heart
defects. “Um, I don’t know because I live with them. I’ve
never known any other way. I live with them, so I would
assume anybody could.”
Kimberly Turner is a writer and editor who has written for dozens
of publications in the U.S. and Australia. She has served as associate
editor of Curbed Atlanta, managing editor of Atlanta magazine,
and managing editor of multiple titles at Australia’s second-largest
magazine publisher. Currently, she is editorial director of WellATL,
an online health and wellness publication she cofounded.
Spring 2015
27
Gifts from the Heart
Special thanks to the following contributors for their gifts to Mended Hearts
and Mended Little Hearts from November 15, 2014 – February 2, 2015
In Memory Of
Rear Adm. (Ret.)
Dr. Frank Anderson
James and Lynn Frierson
Warren Bernstein
Bernard and Dorothy Kornheiser
Rosalie Blacksberg
Jeff, Beth, Benjamin and Matthew
Goodman
Linda Hecht
Dr. Delno Brown
James and Lynn Frierson
Rose Bucci
Mended Hearts Chapter 198
Newark, DE
Calvin Daetwyler, Jr.
Mended Hearts Chapter 38
Houston, TX
Roger Gardner
James and Lynn Frierson
John Guinee
Mended Hearts Chapter 162
Hayward, CA
Hoyt Huston
James and Lynn Frierson
Dennis Hunt
Mary Britton for the Britton Family
Dennis Hunt
Carl Kreitler
Mended Hearts Chapter 250
Bloomington, IL
Barbara Lane
Esther Lopez
Mended Hearts Chapter 161
Hollywood, FL
Doris Stolzenberg
Henry “Hank” Milleradt
Philip and Dorothy Shannabarger
Helen Mills
Mended Hearts Chapter 198
Newark, DE
Fred Moll
Mended Hearts Chapter 107
Evansville, IN
Lewis Sams
James and Lynn Frierson
Mona Shelton
Mended Hearts Chapter 245
Conroe, TX
Pharoah Smithers
James and Lynn Frierson
Paulette Strabavy
Mended Hearts Chapter 268
Calumet/Munster, IN
Joseph Therry
Susan and Debra Schnapp
Peter M. Uyehara
Ethel T. Uyehara
Alvin Wallace
Mended Hearts Chapter 165
Albany, GA
Cindy Whitehouse
Shirley Kell
Kathryn Wollam
Ellen Adornetto
In Honor/ Recognition Ofth
Kit Cassak – in honor of Kit’s 70
birthday!
Susie Robbins
Jackie Rosenberg
Gail Rubenstein
Lenore Weinstein
Lisa Jensen
Edward Paulsen
Grace Elizabeth Stanton
Bill and Nancy Stanton
Fredonia B. Williams
Jeffrey Tennessen via Network
for Good
In Lieu of Reimbursement
Lynn Berringer
Rick Morin
Donnette Smith
Marlyn Taylor
Fredonia B. Williams
National Day of Giving
George and Patty Ogino
Allen Rosenfield
Thanks for Giving
Amanda and Joseph Jones
Amy and Kevin Reed
Angela and Todd Eilers
Avvy Mar
Beri Diane and Fonyuy Ernest Bamnjo
Carey and Greg McCulloch
Chris and Echo Swanson
Colleen M. and Brian C. Callahan
Dolores Suter and Leonard Crupnick
Dr. and Mrs. Blaine Glad
Dr. and Mrs. John Loventhal
Dr. Burt S. Strug M.D.
Dr. Emory Kemp
Dr. Howard Shapiro M.D.
Dr. Michael Alexander
Dr. Sydney Smith D.D.S.
Dr. Thomas Miller II
Dr.& Mrs. Steve Radinsky
Eric Sinkeldam and Robyn Martin
(In honor of their son, Jaxie and his
strong heart)
Fetnat Fouad-Tarazi, MD
Geoffrey and Jennifer Miller
George L. Granger, Ph.D.
Janelle and Greg Skibicki
Jennifer Nier Swindells and John
Swindells
Jill and Paul Wood
Kristi Maedgen
Maria and Juan Villanueva
Marvin Weinberg and Renee Cohen
Melissa and Mike Morris
Mended Hearts Chapter 245
Michelle Padilla
Mildred Patrick
Mr. and Mrs.Jerry Koudelka
Mr. DeWitt Burns
Mr. Louis Zembeno
Mr. Robert Jones
Mr. & Mrs. Alan C. Margulies
Mr. & Mrs. Allen A. Hightower
Mr. & Mrs. Andy Yasutake
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Tatti
Planned Giving:
Consider a Gift to Mended
Hearts or Mended Little
Hearts in Your Will
28
Spring 2015
Mr. & Mrs. B. Michael Rauh Esq.
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Hoag
Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Peffley
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Bucosky
Mr. & Mrs. David W. Yarbrough
Mr. & Mrs. Dean E. Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Wernick
Mr. & Mrs. F. C. Fleck
Mr. & Mrs. Fiss
Mr. & Mrs. Gabriel Rodriguez
Mr. & Mrs. George Eastburn
Mr. & Mrs. Hank Langeman
Mr. & Mrs. Herman Lieberman
Mr. & Mrs. J. Robert Mershon
Mr. & Mrs. Jack and Becky Newberry
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Pontious
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Kohl
Mr. & Mrs. James V. Lang
Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Wright
Mr. & Mrs. John J. McElrone
Mr. & Mrs. Keith E. Riley
Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Duggan
Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Einbund
Mr. & Mrs. M. Hal Perlstein
Mr. & Mrs. Max Leibold
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Legittino
Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Lavenda
Mr. & Mrs. Nelson Rogers
Mr. & Mrs. Norman Cohen
Mr. & Mrs. Paul W. Nelson
Mr. & Mrs. Ray Huntington
Mr. & Mrs. Richard G. Peterson
Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Piersol
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Pylypko
Mr. & Mrs. Robert K. Feeney
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Pasch
Mr. & Mrs. Roger L. Davis
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Weingard
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Bielavitz
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Sharpe
Mr. & Mrs. Victor C. Alvarez
Mr. & Mrs. Victor J. Williams
Mr. & Mrs. Walter Wary
Mr. & Mrs. William Carter
Mr. & Mrs. William P. Collins
Mr. & Mrs. William Reynolds
Mr. A. Thomas Southwell
Mr. Alan Rice
Mr. Albert J. Sa
Mr. Albert Wilkerson
Mr. and Mr. Jay Theise
Mr. and Mrs Alex Roulston
Mr. and Mrs Fred Oliver
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Berringer
Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Babcock
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Pyper
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Castricone
Mr. and Mrs. Betram C. Drouin
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Tegel
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fuller
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Machala
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Ours
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Clement
Mr. and Mrs. David Bert Sligar
Mr. and Mrs. David Lineback
Mr. and Mrs. David Stevens
Mr. and Mrs. David Traylor
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Pettas
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Dypolt
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Cornelsen
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Beel
Mr. and Mrs. Ezequiel Barragan
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Hill
Mr. and Mrs. Francis R. Troy
Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. O’Rourke
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lindsey
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Blazine
Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Littlefield
Mr. and Mrs. Garner Willey
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Williams
Mr. and Mrs. George Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Schanzmeyer
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Cizon
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Eckert
Mr. and Mrs. Henry James
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert T. Beach
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Fortner
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Bailey
Mr. and Mrs. Jack E. Hughes
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Stroehlein
Mr. and Mrs. James Welch
Mr. and Mrs. Jared Jackson
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Brobeck
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Fleenor
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Collins
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Ballew
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sutton
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Taylor
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Polsley
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Laibstain
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis E. Gammon
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis O. Wood
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Copertino
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Grady
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Chenenko
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Gonzalez
Mr. and Mrs. Peter DeIuliis
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Olson
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Olson
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Clapp
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Birdsall
Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Wood
Mr. and Mrs. Riley Napier
Mr. and Mrs. Robert MacInnes
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scott
Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Hess
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Unzen
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Burcham
Mr. and Mrs. Stan Bies
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Rogers
Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Maddox
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Peabody
Mr. and Mrs. William Colin
Mr. and Mrs. William Lundgren
Mr. and Mrs. William Martin
Mr. Andrew R. Hoard
Mr. Anthony Dannolfo
Mr. Arlis A. Ford
Mr. Bennett Cohens Jr.
Mr. Bill Voerster
Mr. Brian Patz
Mr. Byron Pagliassotti
Mr. Carlos Charvez
Mr. Cave Wann
Mr. Charles F. Hobbs
Mr. Charles Hammons
Mr. Charles Johnston
Mr. Charles L. Ross
Mr. Charles M. Valliant
Mr. Charles Shotmeyer
Mr. Charles Wallace
Mr. Chuck Rancourt
Mr. Clarence C. Wolfe
Mr. Clifford F. Haley
Mr. D. Timothy Tyler
Mr. Dale M. Olson
Mr. Daniel J. O’Shea
Mr. Daniel Rutten
Mr. Darld Brannon
Mr. David Darsch
Mr. David L. Belew
Mr. Dennis Dahlman
Mr. Dennis Doris
Mr. Dennis Spero
Mr. Donald E. Kenney
Mr. Donald E. Smucker
Mr. Donald R. Bumgardner
Mr. Donald Schuler
Mr. Donn Fahrendorf
Mr. Donnell R. Dixon
Mr. Douglas McNeely
Mr. Douglas Palmer
Mr. Edward M. Wise
Mr. Edward Melone
Mr. Edward Singleton
Mr. Edwin Daub
Mr. Elso Reints
Mr. Eric Tan
Mr. Everett J. Dean
Mr. Francis Bonanno
Mr. Frank D. Levi Jr.
Mr. Frank H. Rausch
Mr. Frank Iden
Mr. Frank Kurcab
Mr. Frank Licavoli
Mr. Freddie J. Waitman
Mr. Frederick Barrett
Mr. Gale Brick
Mr. Gary Weber
Mr. Gary Wiedenfeld
Mr. George Bickley
Mr. George J. Pillorge
Mr. George Lambeth
Mr. George Martin
Mr. George Meyer and Joey Mazzuca
Mr. George Okamoto
Mr. Gerald Chase
Mr. Gerald Sparlin
Mr. Greg C. Underwood
Mr. Greg Dorsey
Mr. Grover G. Denton
Mr. H. Douglas Taylor
Mr. Harold Prochaska
Mr. Harry R. Summers
Mr. Harvey Brockmeyer
Mr. Herb Hartsook
Mr. Howard Walther
Mr. Ira Bornstein
Mr. J. Borchardt
Mr. J. Don McKune
Mr. Jack Barbee
Mr. Jack Inabinet Jr.
Mr. Jack M. Gold
Mr. Jack Underhill
Mr. Jack Woodliff
Mr. Jack Zerobnick
Some members have found that leaving a gift to Mended Hearts or Mended Little Hearts in their will is a
meaningful and personal way to support the objectives of Mended Hearts or Mended Little Hearts. The
process can be as simple and easy as discussing the matter with your estate planner or attorney. Here’s
some suggested language: “I give, devise and bequeath the sum of XX dollars to The Mended Hearts, Inc. or
Mended Little Hearts, to be used for the support of heart patients in accordance with its charitable purposes.”
Mr. James B. McKibben
Mr. James Compton
Mr. James E. Puryear
Mr. James Gentry
Mr. James R. Pagans
Mr. James Sullivan
Mr. James T. Timidaiski
Mr. James W. Varda
Mr. James Wells
Mr. Jeff M. Trenk
Mr. Jerry Davis
Mr. Jim Bigelow
Mr. Jim Jones
Mr. Joe Natale
Mr. Joel Plante
Mr. John Cron
Mr. John D. Stokes
Mr. John E. Borbone
Mr. John F. Sullivan
Mr. John J. Hussey Jr.
Mr. John Mizerak
Mr. John R. Jansen
Mr. John Sullivan
Mr. John W. Knuth
Mr. Joseph Anmuth
Mr. Joseph J. Nocella
Mr. Juan J. Lopez
Mr. Larry Mantle
Mr. Larry Walsh
Mr. Lawrence Hahn
Mr. Lawrence Miller
Mr. Lawrence W. Rand
Mr. Lonnie Stock
Mr. Lorne Sugar
Mr. Lothar K. Zeran
Mr. Loyd Lavender
Mr. Maurice Tabickman
Mr. Michael Falabella
Mr. Michael J Seiler
Mr. Michael J. Rymond
Mr. Mike Bankovich
Mr. Neal Mitchell
Mr. Neil Burgstahler
Mr. Neil Hawks
Mr. Norman E. Grede
Mr. Norman Petrik
Mr. Orvie Stirn
Mr. Pat Hagen
Mr. Patrick Patton
Mr. Paul Cooper
Mr. Paul Hodson
Mr. Pete Puckett
Mr. Peter Greco
Mr. Peter Peruzzi
Mr. Peter Pukszta
Mr. Peter Rocco
Mr. Peter Wenson
Mr. Phil Wright
Mr. Philip A. Heinemann
Mr. Ralph Beckwith
Mr. Ralph Simermeyer
Mr. Rawlyn R. Ross
Mr. Raymond Hirsch
Mr. Richard Bilski
Mr. Richard Brenner
Mr. Richard Briggs
Mr. Richard Dearborn
Mr. Richard H. Anderson
Mr. Richard J. Simmons
Mr. Richard K. O’Dea
Mr. Richard Kane
Mr. Richard McCall
Mr. Rick Volheim
Mr. Robert Cyr
Mr. Robert Dickman
Mr. Robert F. Schunneman
Mr. Robert Fischer
Mr. Robert Gonciarz Sr.
Mr. Robert Hamilton
Mr. Robert J. Hughes
Mr. Robert Johnson
Mr. Robert Knobbe
Mr. Robert L. McCall
Mr. Robert Mahovsky
Mr. Robert Moran
Mr. Robert Mrzlack
Mr. Robert Nobles
Mr. Robert O. Franz
Mr. Robert Soffee
Mr. Robert W. Butler
Mr. Rodney Weiher
Mr. Rodolphe G. Charest
Mr. Roger Fortain
Mr. Ronald Hall
Mr. Ronald Mason
Mr. Ross Amick
Mr. Royce Gailey
Mr. Ruben Isaacson
Mr. Rudolph L. Johnson Sr.
Mr. Russell Peck
Mr. Scott Mihalick and
Mrs. Wendi Zimmerman
Mr. Serge Karpow
Mr. Stanley Krick
Mr. Steve Heckman
Mr. T. Philip Humphries
Mr. Ted D. Alexander
Mr. Ted Ham
Mr. Thomas Gaffney
Mr. Thomas Geraghty
Mr. Thomas L. Mazzei
Mr. Thomas Lutton
Mr. Tim Correia
Mr. Vernon Wickman
Mr. W. Wade Homesley
Mr. Walter G. Thorne
Mr. Warren E. Stephey
Mr. William Chapman
Mr. William Cooper
Mr. William D. Caddell
Mr. William F. Rossi
Mr. William G. Sale Jr.
Mr. William J. Farr
Mr. William J. McMillan
Mr. William MacBrayne
Mr. William R. Smith
Mr. William Rooney
Mr. William Slusser
Mr. Wyatt Coggins
Mr. Zelick Waganheim
Mr.and Mrs. Donald Witt
Mr.and Mrs. Joe Burnes
Mr.and Mrs. Ralph Kats
Mr.and Mrs. Stan Henn
Mr.and Mrs. William Goellner
Mr.Glen D. Willier
Mrs. Alberta Rogers
Mrs. Aline D. Castonguay
Mrs. Angielin Ford
Mrs. Arnella Bashkov
Mrs. Audrey Whitlow
Mrs. Barbara Ettkin
Mrs. Betty Hamilton
Mrs. Betty P. Moore
Mrs. Betty White Dodd
Mrs. Bettye Stolz
Mrs. Beverly Skalisky
Mrs. Carol Munroe
Mrs. Cherie Zavison
Mrs. Colleen Booth
Mrs. Connie Beveridge
Mrs. Cynthia Toussaint
Mrs. Donna Donohue (In memory of
Michael Donohue)
Mrs. Donna Kennedy
Mrs. Eleanor Pilcher
Mrs. Elsie S. Strait
Mrs. Emily Holtzer
Mrs. Eva Mooney
Mrs. Faith Kleven
Mrs. Gene E. Williams
Mrs. Geraldine Rose
Mrs. Greta J. Walsh
Mrs. Helen M. Risher
Mrs. Helen Smoak
Mrs. Irene E. Rydzefski
Mrs. Jana Stewart (In honor of
the Mended Ladies)
Mrs. Jane Magnus
Mrs. Jeanne Jackson-Corns
Mrs. Joan Axen
Mrs. Judie L Locke
Mrs. Judith Anderson
Mrs. Kathleen Culver
Mrs. Kristin Castiglione
Mrs. Lily Tuggle
Mrs. Lois Heaton
Mrs. Lorraine S. Tramel
Mrs. Madelaine Pino
Mrs. Margaret Manuel
Mrs. Mary L. Franck
Mrs. Mary Misaki
Mrs. Mary T. Kempf
Mrs. Moretta Newberry
Mrs. Nancy Mietz
Mrs. Nell L. Robinson
Mrs. Pearl Screeton
Mrs. Rita Ginsberg
Mrs. Ruth Poole
Mrs. Sally Womack
Mrs. Sandra Mays
Mrs. Sandy Katz
Mrs. Sharon Allred
Mrs. Shirley Shepherd
Mrs. Velma M. Frey
Mrs. Vivian Claire Borgstrom
Ms. Anna Gutierrez
Ms. Anne Korenstein R.N.
Ms. Barbara Ann Cosentino
Ms. Bertie Mae Young
Ms. Betty Fulkerson
Ms. Caroline Smith
Ms. Carolyn Davis
Ms. Catherine Balsley
Ms. Cheryl Mackey
Ms. Clare Wolcott
Ms. Cynthia Baxter - Guarino
Ms. Dale W. Sheehan
Ms. Denise Zuber
Ms. Donna S. Peters
Ms. Dorothea E. Ilg
Ms. Dorothy Schmitt
Ms. Edna Murphy
Ms. Elaine Hershbarger
Ms. Ellinor Hagedorn
Ms. Emily Shell
Ms. Evelyn Leonetti
Ms. Florence I. Williamson
Ms. Florence S. Johnson
Ms. Freda Causey
Ms. Gail Lentz
Ms. Gina Kelley
Ms. Gladys Grimm
Ms. Gloria M. Corbo
Ms. Helen Krnich
Ms. Helen Kuligowski
Ms. Irene Karavokiros
Ms. Jennifer Clausen
Ms. Joan Lees
Ms. Joanne A. Rudolph
Ms. Joyce Hickethier
Ms. Juanita Zuber
Ms. Judith Ireland
Ms. Katherine Leon
Ms. Lani Sykora
Ms. Lisa Goodbread
Ms. Lydia Helberg
Ms. M. Chris Bolden
Ms. Mai Wah Jang
Ms. Maria Evans
Ms. Marilyn Branzetti
Ms. Marlene Vandersande
Ms. Marlene Zepeda
Ms. Martha J. Brown
Ms. Maureen Misiak
Ms. Mimi Gould
Ms. Patsy K. Pettus
Ms. Rose Parham
Ms. Rosemarie Pelland
Ms. Ruth Albert
Ms. Samantha Day
Ms. Shiela Seroussi
Ms. Shirley A. Mize
Ms. Yvette Cohen
Rose and William Tench
Teresa and Don Bonner
Terry Acuff
The Family of Pat Burns
Toledo Firefighters Local 92IAFF
General Donations
AIG Matching Grants Program in
regards to Robert Friedman’s
matching request
James M. Carter
Robert Davis
James and Barbara Forman
Suzanne Galvanek via AT&T United
Way/Employee Giving Campaign
Steve and Melody Golding
Mended Hearts Chapter 204
Jefferson City, MO
Laura Moorman
Network for Good
Mansurali Nurmuhammad
Audrey Powers
Bill Schramer via YourCause, LLC
Trustee for Pacific Gas and Electric
Company/ Employee Giving
The Fabric of America Fund
Cheryl Walter via Microsoft’s
Matching Gifts Program
Mended Little Hearts Tita
Hutchens Fund
In Memory of
Ed Clark
Mended Hearts Chapter 40
Stockton, CA
Savannah Cecelia Hopkins
Ken Hopkins
Tita Hutchens
Tennise Marie Allen
Mary Louise Joliat
Eileen Lowe
Kathryn Pontzer
Janet Smitek
In Honor/Celebration Of
Ayden
Kathryn Carson
Lucah
Murielle LeBlanc
Trenton Baer
Ronald and Jane Conty
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Byrne
Frederick Byrne
Catherine Case Larson
Julia Kilchenstein
Nadia Grafton
Rebecca Vucic
Ari Kassner
Lisa Gallagher
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and
the mending of Luke Byrne’s heart
James Hanna
Fran Murphy
John and Rebecca Cannady
Teddy Stem
Dr. and Mrs. Nawaf Nseir
Landon Walenga
Michael Mizelle
Michael White
Grandpa Garry and Gramma Jan
(Garry and Jan Lowe)
In Lieu of Reimbursement
Amanda Dean
Megan Setzer
Roar N’ Run Event
Randy and Sherry Gay
Bravery Bag Donations
Brinker International
Eileen Marie Byrne
Tony, Judy, Nicole, Luke, Jake and
Courtney Byrne
Patrick “Kelly” Cunningham
Nancy Hall – in honor of her grandson,
Aaron Cooper
Mended Little Hearts of Chicago through
the Booster T-Shirt Campaign
Mended Little Hearts of Houston
Julie Reves
In Kind Donations
Mended Little Hearts of Rochester, NY
General Donations
Taylor Brown
Michael Byrne
Patrick Byrne
Dr. Ed Fry
Dr. Ty Gluckman
Erin Henderson
IBM Employment Services via the IBM
Employee Charitable Contribution
Campaign
Dr. Nkechi Ijioma
John Kurzawa
Mended Little Hearts of Little Rock
Mended Little Hearts of San Antonio
Robert Mercurio, III
Dr. Brahmajee Nallamothu
Erin Parker
Sharon Ryan
Mari Schieber
Megan Setzer for CHD Awareness Week
Brittany Sherry
Laura Walker
To make a tax-deductible gift to Mended Hearts or Mended Little Hearts, send a check or money order to:
The Mended Hearts, Inc. ∙ 8150 N. Central Expwy., M2248, Dallas, TX 75206
Mended Little Hearts ∙ 8150 N. Central Expwy., M2248, Dallas, TX 75206
Or contribute online using your credit card at www.mendedhearts.org
Spring 2015
29
The Mended Hearts, Inc.
8150 N. Central Expwy., M2248
Dallas, Texas 75206-1859
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 4
Long Prairie, MN
Compassion.
Hope.
Encouragement.
Register today for the Mended Hearts
Education and Training Conference and the
Mended Little Hearts Leadership Conference
C
hapter leaders, members and caregivers will gather in
Orlando for the Mended Hearts Education and Training Conference, June 24 – 27, 2015. Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa has
been selected for this year’s conference. The Mended Little Hearts
Leadership Training will be held June 25 – 27 and will also be at the Buena
Vista Palace Hotel & Spa in Orlando.
This year’s conference will offer invaluable sessions and breakout seminars.
Keynote speakers will lead in heart-related topics for the patient, caregiver
and parents of children with CHD. Exhibitors will include sponsors and
vendors who will be offering an opportunity to ask questions and gather heart
materials. New this year will be a Symposium for an opportunity to join the
conference one day to hear the latest heart news.
When planning your trip to Orlando, consider coming in early or extending
your stay. Invite your family to join you to enjoy all that Orlando offers!
Online registration is now available at
http://mendedhearts.org/conference.htm,
or call 1-888-432-7899 for additional information.