On Monday, September 19th, Mended Little Hearts will be joining with several other leading patient and professional organizations for a unique opportunity to educate Congress regarding the life-long needs of those living with congenital heart disease.
EMAIL your legislators to remind them to attend this important event.
1) Find your members at:
- a. http:// Senate.gov
- b. http:// House.gov
2) Begin completing their online contact email form, and/or write a separate email to the legislative aide for health using an address you may have previously received.
3) Insert personalized paragraph
4) Send
Your personalized paragraph should include: (feel free to cut and paste into your paragraph, adding your own details)
- How congenital heart disease affects you:
- I was born with a heart defect.
- My child was born with a heart defect.
- I work closely with those affected by congenital heart disease.
- Encourage them to attend the Congenital Heart Disease Briefing
- The Briefing is sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Co-sponsored by: Adult Congenital Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, Children’s Heart Foundation, Congenital Heart Information Network, Kids With Heart National Association for Children’s Heart Disorders, March of Dimes, Mended Little Hearts, National Birth Defects Prevention Network, Newborn Foundation/Newborn Coalition, and 1in100.
- This will be a widely attended event on the increasing public health impact of congenital heart defects across the lifespan. Legislators will:
- Understand the important role of federal and state programs in congenital heart defects research, surveillance, screening and prevention.
- Learn more about future initiatives to improve the lives of children and adults living with congenital heart defects.
- Featured Speakers:
- Coleen Boyle, PhD, MSHyg Director, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Gideon Mecum, MD, MA Parent of a child with a congenital heart defect, Pediatrician at Arkansas Children’s Hospital
- Matthew Oster, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
- Geoffrey Rosenthal, MD, PhD Professor of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Amy Verstappen, MEd President, Adult Congenital Heart Association
- O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP President, American Academy of Pediatrics
- Include a closing:
- On behalf of [myself/ my child/ my patients,] and the nearly two million American children and adults with CHD alive today, I urge you to learn more.
Get credit for your advocacy efforts – let me know when you’ve sent your email by contacting me at advocacy@mendedlittlehearts.org.
IF you live in Washington DC, we would love to have you attend this event. Please inquire about joining us by emailing advocacy@mendedlittlehearts.org.
