Helpful Resources
Mended Little Hearts National Resources
MLH Guide: A Guide for Families Living with Congenital Heart Disease
Provides information to help parents and caregivers, regardless of where you are in your child’s heart journey.
A quarterly magazine Mended Hearts distributes to members and subscribers all over the nation. Each issue focuses on the topics that matters most to our readers such as health tips, research updates, success stories, news on chapters and more.
MLH is always seeking new members at the national-level, and it is free to join. You can also choose to donate at the national level, which is a separate pool of funding from the local level.
Local Hospitals
Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) Cardiology
One of the nations leading pediatric cardiology departments, CNMC provides care for both the most complex and common heart conditions.
Inova Fairfax Children’s Heart Center
One of the largest, most successful pediatric cardiology programs in the mid-Atlantic region, providing specialized care to children of all ages from Northern Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, and beyond.
Development Programs & Research
The Cardiac Neurodevelopment Outcome (CANDO) Program monitors neurodevelopmental growth in children born with congenital heart disease and recommends courses of action.
The Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative (CNOC) is a not-for-profit organization established to determine and implement best practices of neurodevelopmental and psychosocial services for individuals with pediatric and congenital heart disease and their families through clinical, quality improvement, and research initiatives.
Support for Families
Provides short-term assistance for “heart families” whose child/children receive cardiac care at CNMC in Washington, DC.
Offers a platform for families or friends to create health journals to keep others up-to-date on a loved one’s condition. Setting up a site is free.
Supports families with children, who have complex medical conditions, by providing a community-based collaborative approach to pediatric care that’s focused on their whole health and well-being.
Parent Navigators provide guidance and support to families about how to access services, work with providers, and manage the various aspects of special needs caregiving.
Provides mortgage and rental payment assistance grants to parents and guardians caring for a critically ill or injured child, allowing them to take unpaid leave from work and spend precious time together without jeopardizing their cherished homes.
Camps
Developed in conjunction with the Department of Pediatric Cardiology of CNMC. Children are under the constant care of trained and experienced doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers. The goal of Camp Heartbeat is to reduce the social isolation that is often associated with CHD, and increase the campers’ knowledge and understanding campers about their condition.