Resources for Parents & Families

• Nemours KidsHealth – Heart & Circulatory System

  • Provides child-friendly explanations of heart function, common conditions, and tips for keeping the heart healthy, ideal for parents teaching their kids about cardiovascular wellness.

• Parent Heart Watch

  • A national advocacy group focused on preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth, offering screening tools, educational materials, and support for families.

• Mended Little Hearts

  • Support network for parents of children with congenital heart defects (CHD), providing peer mentoring, hospital care packages, and educational resources.

• Children’s Heart Foundation

  • Funds critical CHD research and offers family support programs, helping parents navigate diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care.

• Youth Heart Watch (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)

  • A program promoting heart screenings and emergency response training in schools, with resources for parents on cardiac arrest prevention.

• CHD Coalition

  • Advocacy organization uniting families, clinicians, and researchers to improve CHD care through awareness campaigns and policy initiatives.

• Conquering CHD

  • Provides CHD education, mental health support, and community events for families affected by congenital heart disease.

• Pediatric Heart Network

  • Collaborative research network offering clinical trial information and advancements in pediatric heart disease treatment.

Resources for Teens

• American Red Cross – Red Cross Youth

  • Teaches CPR, first aid, and leadership skills for teens interested in promoting heart health and emergency preparedness.

• Voices for Healthy Kids (AHA)

  • Advocacy tools and campaigns to help teens push for policies improving heart health in schools and communities.

• UCLA Teen Heart Health Initiative

  • Teen-driven program addressing poor diet, lack of physical activity and increased stress among adolescents through peer education and community outreach.

• American Heart Association - Youth Heart Ambassadors

  • Leadership program for youth affected by heart disease to become advocates and voices for the organization's in-school health initiatives.

• Young Hearts for Life Program - Advocate Children's Hospital

  • Free ECG screening program specifically designed to detect potentially life-threatening heart problems in young athletes and active teens in Chicago area.

• Championship Hearts Foundation

  • Mobile heart screening program providing free cardiac evaluations to high school students ages 14-18 across Texas in various community venues.

General/Public Resources

• American Heart Association (AHA)

  • Comprehensive guides on heart disease prevention, CPR training, and healthy living for all ages.

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

  • Evidence-based guidelines on pediatric heart health, nutrition, and physical activity from a trusted government source.

• World Heart Federation

  • WHO-recognized global organization fighting cardiovascular disease worldwide through heart health promotion and international advocacy efforts.

Additional Advocacy & Support Groups

• SADS Foundation

  • Focuses on preventing sudden arrhythmia death syndromes in young people, offering genetic testing resources.

• Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation

  • Supports families affected by pediatric cardiomyopathy with research funding and care coordination.

• Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

  • Raises awareness about SCA risks and advocates for AED access in public spaces.