Over the years, we have established an extensive network of hospitals and medical professionals in the cardiothoracic field.  These resources are invaluable in helping children and to recreate that network in other specialties would be difficult and an inefficient use of our resources.

We have been assured by medical professionals throughout this country that ANY child in need of cardiac care will receive that care here in the US regardless of the ability to pay.  Often the surgical team that operates at some of the best of medical centers in the US also operate at the municipal medical centers. Children born with a heart issue will usually be treated before they leave the maternity wing of the hospital.

Hospitals spend large amounts of money to have surgical teams to do this vital work.  It is important that those teams stay busy and that they have the opportunity to work on children who are older than the average child here.  The surgical teams benefit from taking care of Gift of Life children.

Generally, 8 of every 1,000 children born in the world will have a congenital birth defect affecting the heart.  These defects are commonly called a ‘hole in the heart’ or a ‘blue baby.’  The difference is that children in the US receive care whereas most of the children in the world do not have access to such care.  The World Heath Organization estimates that 93% of the children born each year do not have access to adequate cardiac care.