Join the Tri-County Heart Walk
MINISINK — It’s a parent’s worst nightmare – your doctor tells you that your baby has heart defects. The diagnosis of congenital heart defects - structural problems with the heart present at birth - can come when the baby is in utero, and with the right testing like low-cost, non-invasive pulse oximetry, it can be detected immediately after birth. Either way, the diagnosis is frightening for parents at a time when emotions and anxiety are already high.
Teams and individuals can join the Tri-County Heart Walk on Sunday, May 5, at Lake Welch Beach at Harriman State Park.
The Heart Walk is a national event held annually in cities across America. Last year’s event, with more than 3,000 walkers participating from Orange, Rockland and Sullivan Counties, raised over $368,000.
The American Heart Association (AHA) states that out of 1,000 births, nine babies will have some form of congenital heart disorder, most of which are mild. Congenital heart defects range in severity from simple problems, such as "holes" between chambers of the heart, to very severe malformations, such as complete absence of one or more chambers or valves. Congenital heart defects are the No. 1 birth defect in the U.S. and the No. 1 killer of infants with birth defects.
“Everything was going so well, just the normal hiccups that come with being a brand new parent. We were getting ready to be discharged from the hospital when one of the pediatricians came into our room with a concerned look on her face. She told us that Noah had been born with a heart murmur and that they wanted to do some more tests,” said Renee Shand-Lubbers, mother of Noah, “We had no idea he had a murmur until then.”
Noah Shand-Lubbers was born in November of 2009 with three different types of heart defects affecting the aorta, aortic valve and he had holes in the heart wall. He needed surgery before he could go home from the hospital. At just four days old, Noah had surgery and it was a success.
Despite the rocky start, eight days after surgery, Noah was able to go home. Once Noah was home, he was not entirely in the clear, he had a difficult time eating and gaining weight; he had to see a pediatric cardiologist three to five days per week for his first month.
Noah just turned three and sees his cardiologist once or twice a year. His heart defects have healed. He may need surgery in his teenage or middle years, but unlike some children with heart defects, he has no physical restrictions.
“Noah is a very strong and active little boy who has been through quite a bit in his young life. But, he is a true survivor and continues to inspire us,” said his mother.
Noah is serving as an honoree at this year’s American Heart Association Tri-County Heart Walk to help inspire others. The funds raised at the event will support the AHA’s awareness and education programs and scientific research. The American Heart Association’s funding for pediatric cardiac research is second only to the federal government.
Register at www.tricountyheartwalk.org or call Michelle Conrad at 845-346-5276 or email michelle.conrad@heart.org. On site registration begins at 9 a.m. The walk begins at 10:30 a.m.
The Heart Walk is sponsored nationally by Subway and Jenny Craig, and locally by Bon Secours Charity Health System, Orange Regional Medical Center, Nice Pak/PDI, Hudson Valley Magazine and Cumulus Radio.