Heartfelt Journeys of Young Heart Warriors and Their Families
NUHCS Congenital Heart Surgery Parent Huddle 2023
PULSE Issue 42 | February 2024
The NUHCS Congenital Heart Surgery Parent Huddle was held on 22 July 2023, in partnership with Congenital Heart Association Parent & Patient Support (CHAPPS), bringing together congenital heart patients and their families to learn more about Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and meet other parents who are also in the journey of caring for a child with CHD.
What is Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)?
Structural or functional heart abnormalities that are present at birth which may lead to disruption or blockage of blood and oxygen flow.
Some common birth defects include:
Septal Defect - Hole in the heart's wall that separate the chambers, causing disruption in the flow of oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood in the body.
Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) - Combination of four heart defects affecting blood flow through the heart.
The theme of the event was "Superhero", portraying the mighty strength of a Superhero that every family embodies.
Kickstarting the lineup of engaging events, Miguel Espiritu, a resilient 15-year-old young heart warrior at NUHCS, took the spotlight with a guitar performance. Having undergone several major surgeries since 2010 after being diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) - a CHD where the heart's main blood vessels are in abnormal positions - his remarkable performance not only served as a source of inspiration to the audience, but also made his parents proud by embodying the essence of living life to the fullest and pursuing his passions against all odds.
Several heart patients and their caregivers were also invited to be part of a panel discussion for this year's NUHCS Parent Huddle, serving as a touchpoint for other attending families to seek advice or address their queries.
The first panel comprised caregivers of heart patients who offered fellow parents enlightenment and encouragements in caring for their children with CHD. One caregiver amongst the panelists recounted his own journey of tending to his 12-year-old son who has the conditions of Down syndrome and ToF. Following the caregiver's sharing was an exchange of experiences from two heart patients, both currently in their thirties and navigating through their continued recovery process with ToF. Through their pursuits to recovery, they became beacons of hope to the children and their families, as their stories of building their own families and even having children of their own served as an inspiration to the attendees.
To conclude the huddle, a Question & Answer (Q&A) session was also conducted for all attendees to share their queries anonymously with our team of CHD doctors and surgeons who provided their professional advice on the questions posed.
NUHCS is dedicated to providing holistic care for the healthier well-being of all our patients. This Parent Huddle event fostered heartfelt connections within the community, and offered a supportive space for families with children battling congenital heart conditions.
