Beatz of Courage ~ Get CHD Informed

Coarctation of the Aorta (COA) – The narrowing of the aorta between the upper and lower body branches. This causes a narrowing or even a blockage.

Symptoms of COA are typically high blood pressure in the right arm and upper body with weak pulse in the lower body. Isolated COA is when Coarctation is the only defect present, but can occur in conjunction with other defects. Isolated COA can typically be repaired with a closed-heart procedure, but if present with other types of CHDs, open-heart surgery would probably be necessary.

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Congenital Heart Defects are the most common birth defects worldwide and affect 1 in every 100 babies. That is why we are on a mission to EDUCATE people this month. That is why we are going to ADVOCATE for our kids and are striving to SPREAD CHD AWARENESS all month long.

This February, we are highlighting the more than 40 kinds of CHD to help educate the public. Our Heart Heroes endure so much as they battle this lifelong medical issue and they do it with incredible courage and strength. We want to highlight the courage that exists within every beat of their hearts. Please join us as we feature a daily Heart Hero and CHD in our Beatz of Courage Campaign this month. Get #CHDInformed. Look for our Beatz of Courage posts each day and #Educate #Advocate and #SpreadCHDAwareness!

#HeartHeroes #CHDAwareness #HeartMonth #BeatzofCourage

(Source: The Children’s Heart Foundation. It’s My Heart. Munster: Hilton Publishing, 2011. Print.)