Heart Kids NZ

Our team of dedicated family support workers provide much-needed support to heart families when they are in hospital and when they return home.  They visit families, assess their needs, provide practical and emotional assistance, and connect them to appropriate community services and professional help.

Providing heart children and their families with practical, emotional and psychosocial services - be it an information brochure, specialist equipment, leadership development for heart youth and adults, a camping experience, an opportunity to connect with other families, a hot meal for hospital-bound families, or just a shoulder to cry on. Our support is vital for those affected, helping them cope with the lifelong challenges of living with a childhood heart disease.

With Anti-Coagulant machines, blood testing now means no pain, no tears, nor car trips. Parents and children can conduct the required blood test themselves, at home, with just one drop of blood taken from a finger prick. It's quite simply changing lives.

For enquiries about the Anti-Coagulant Machine Project, please contact:

Filipa Chipper Family Support and Services Manager
Ph:  09 393 8462

 

Members of Heart Kids can register to receive a Stainless Steel MedicAlert bracelet funded by Heart Kids. The bracelet contains the toll-free number of a specialised emergency response centre. Emergency responders can call the centre to quickly access the wearer’s medical information, enabling appropriate emergency treatment.

Camp Brave Hearts

Camp Brave Hearts is a dynamic national camp where heart kids aged between 8 and 12 years can participate in a range of outdoor activities in a fun, safe environment under the careful supervision of a medical team. Camp Brave Hearts is a great opportunity for children to try new experiences and to get to know others with similar health challenges.

Camp Teen Beat

Camp Teen Beat caters for heart teens aged between 13 to 17 years. Like the camp for younger participants, this five-day outdoor pursuit camp focuses on learning life skills and building friendships, confidence, and self-esteem in teenagers with a childhood heart condition. It is an opportunity for them to mix with their peers, get to know others with similar experiences and challenges, as well as, where applicable, talk to professionals and other young people about their forthcoming transition into the adult cardiology wards of Auckland Hospital.