THANK YOU! Your continued and very generous support of our mission is humbling, inspiring, and most appreciated. We have made great strides in closing the gap in the lack of access to specialized medical care. Our unwavering dedication to saving lives has resulted in an innovative program providing medical care to children worldwide for over two decades. In 2023, we surpassed 1,000 lives saved! Incredible!
Despite our impact, many more children are desperately waiting. With only 10% of children with congenital heart defects having access to care, HeartGift’s expansive, worldwide growth continues to allow us to care for more children.
We are surrounded by heroes who share their time, talent, and treasure with us, all to save more lives. Thank you to our medical teams, hospital partners, host families, and volunteers for your dedication. Thank you to our Boards, who push us to think bigger, to go farther faster to save more lives. Thank you to those who have supported our mission through your generous contributions. We believe that, together with your continued support, we have the potential to make a di erence in the lives of thousands of children and families in the immediate future and for decades to come.
Stephen Garrison Chairman of the Board
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stephen Garrison, Chair
Tim Brierty, Vice Chair
Bryan Burkhart, Treasurer
Je Woodham, Secretary
Brenda Barrett
Sandy Bayne
Maryann Bell
Jessica Bess, Board Chair – San Antonio
Sharon Dobbs
Bob Herrin, Board Chair – Houston
Kristy Knippa
HEARTGIFT STAFF
Christy Casey-Moore, Chief Executive O cer
Janna Altmann, Executive Director – Houston
Kimberly Atteberry, O ce Manager
Stephanie Berault, Executive Director – Louisiana
Monica Bradley, Director of Accounting/Finance
Shelby Holt, Brand Manager
Jan Larsen
Marye Nickens, Board Chair – Louisiana
Sonu Panda
Tish Sauerho
Lauren Willers
Karen Wright, MD, Medical Director
Frank Zidar, MD
John D. Oswalt, MD, Founder Emeritus
Ray Wilkerson, Founder Emeritus
Kristi Jones, VP Marketing/Fund Development
Sonya Keeling, Program Manager
Deborah Perry, Senior PR/Marketing Manager
Irene Turnbull-May, Executive Director – San Antonio
Amber Vrooman, Senior Development Manager
Erica Yaeger, Patient Coordinator – Louisiana
HeartGift provides life-saving congenital heart defect surgery to children around the world where specialized medical treatment is either scarce or nonexistent.
In 2023, HeartGift cared for more children in a single year than ever before. Through an aggressive global expansion, new and expanded partnerships were formed with medical facilities around the world. Thanks to generous sponsors and volunteers, 332 children received life-saving heart surgery at no cost to their families.
Ugandan village welcomes home 2-year-old Mercy after her life-saving heart surgery.
Over 1,000,000 children are born each year with a congenital heart defect. Only 10% of them have access to specialized medical care.
HeartGift addresses this disparity of care.
Our powerful network and expansive global footprint allow us to provide surgeries:
IN A CHILD’S HOME COUNTRY OR NEIGHBORING COUNTRY IN AMERICA
THROUGH MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS
SURGERY IN AMERICA
HeartGift brings children to the United States for life-saving heart surgery. Dedicated hospital partners in each chapter provide care at no cost to the children and their families. During their time in the United States, generous volunteer host families provide support and a “home away from home” for the children and parents during their medical stay.
In 2023, HeartGift provided 24 life-saving heart surgeries in the United States.
HOSPITAL PARTNERS
Children’s Hospital New Orleans New Orleans, LA
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Houston, TX
Dell Children’s Medical Center Austin, TX
University Health San Antonio, TX
San Antonio Austin
Houston
New Orleans
MEET MORGAN!
AGE 3, UGANDA
Morgan was three months old when his mother noticed his labored breathing. After numerous medical appointments, doctors diagnosed him with Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), or a hole between the bottom two chambers of his heart. Unfortunately, the specialized medical care needed to save Morgan’s life was financially out of reach for his family.
Thankfully, after an exhaustive search, Morgan’s mother found HeartGift. Morgan and his mom traveled more than 8,400 miles to Houston for life-saving heart surgery. When he arrived, he was lethargic, tired, and slept a lot. Open-heart surgery successfully closed the hole, and Morgan is now an active boy who loves to ride his bike at home in Uganda.
UGANDA
SURGERIES IN HOME COUNTRY OR NEIGHBORING COUNTRY
HeartGift partners with humanitarian groups around the world. These “boots on the ground” organizations identify children in need of specialized cardiac care, directing them to larger cities in their home country or neighboring countries where appropriate facilities exist. HeartGift focuses on providing life-saving surgery as well as strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in the nations we serve.
Through these partnerships, HeartGift funded 187 free life-saving heart surgeries in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, India, and Philippines in 2023.
GLOBAL PARTNERS
Gift of Life International
Haiti Cardiac Alliance
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
India Philippines
MEET EMELY!
AGE 5, EL SALVADOR
Shortly after birth, Emely was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called mitral stenosis. One of her heart's four main valves was narrow, reducing blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. This condition caused Emely chronic illness and failure to thrive. Surgical intervention is available in El Salvador, but hundreds of miles away from Emely’s home. It was also very expensive, which Emely’s farming family could not a ord.
HeartGift’s partner, Gift of Life International, met the five-year-old and quickly identified her as a surgical candidate. HeartGift stepped in to ensure Emely received her life-saving heart surgery at no cost. Today, Emely is healthy, happy, and thriving. She likes to dance, draw, and run and play with her friends and 14-year-old brother.
EL SALVADOR
SAVING LIVES GLOBALLY
MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS
In 2023, HeartGift’s medical mission trips brought life-saving heart surgeries to Bolivia, Kenya, and Nigeria. Teams include pediatric surgeons and cardiologists, anesthesiologists, as well as nurses, respiratory therapists, and biomedical equipment specialists. Trips –ranging from ten days to a month – give local children the opportunity to have their hearts repaired and live a healthy life, all at no cost to their families.
HeartGift saved 121 lives during four medical mission trips in 2023.
2023MEDICALMISSION TRIPS
MISSION TRIP PARTNERS
Care for a Child’s Heart Clinica Incor
Hospitals for Humanity
Voom Foundation
Nigeria
Kenya
Bolivia
MEET SEBASTIAN!
AGE 2, BOLIVIA
At almost two years old, Sebastian barely crawled, had no interest in walking, and was completely dependent on his mother to get around. Sebastian was finally diagnosed with a hole in his tiny heart. His parents were devastated when they learned that pediatric cardiac surgery was unavailable in Bolivia…except once a year when an American medical team from HeartGift travels to Bolivia to provide free heart surgeries for children like Sebastian.
Nervous and worried, Sebastian’s parents waited for his surgery to be complete. After just a few days of recovery, their angst turned into triumph and happiness when Sebastian went from being only able to walk with assistance to running through the hospital halls full of life.
BOLIVIA
1,184 CHILDREN SERVED THROUGH 2023
192 TOTAL VOLUNTEERS
19,000+ HOURS VOLUNTEERED
24 HOST FAMILIES
250+ MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
CHILDREN
1,800
GET INVOLVED!
DONATE
Your gifts save lives! With your support, HeartGift can provide life-saving medical care to these special children, with 89 cents of every dollar going directly to patient care. Thanks to you, every surgery is completely free to the children and their families.
ATTEND AN EVENT
Join us! From traditional golf tournaments and sporting clay shoots to singer/songwriter showcases and Party with a Purpose, HeartGift o ers unique and fun ways for individuals, businesses, and sponsors to get involved and save lives at the same time.
LEGACY GIFTS
Legacy giving allows you to leave a lasting impact by including charitable donations to HeartGift in your estate planning. Your thoughtful designations support our life-saving mission for years to come.
HOST A CHILD
Host families provide a “home away from home,” supporting our children and families during their medical journey in the United States. Lives of all ages are changed forever, and it's a fantastic way to experience HeartGift's mission up close.
Volunteers get creatively involved in a HeartGift medical journey. Some paint welcome signs and greet incoming patients at the airport. Some fill backpacks with clothing and toys, or take HeartGift children on special kid-friendly outings like the zoo or park. Others are deeply moved by HeartGift’s mission and raise funds to give back or support an existing fundraising event.
