Valentine’s Day is about cupid, love and of course, the heart. With that as a theme, Greater Houlton Christian Academy will be holding a fundraiser and awareness day for pediatric cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy is a chronic disease of the heart muscle (myocardium), in which the muscle is abnormally enlarged, thickened and/or stiffened. The weakened heart muscle loses the ability to pump blood effectively, resulting in irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and possibly even heart failure.
“There are many diseases that greatly affect children, but often the heart is overlooked; especially in children,” said Lisa Winship, a parent of a child with cardiomyopathy. “To bring awareness to pediatric cardiomyopathy — a disease that has no cure and affects approximately 30,000 children in the United States — GHCA was gracious enough to host this event.”
Winship added, “Often under diagnosed, cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden deaths and heart transplants in children under the age of 18. Parents will be able to talk to two parents whose lives have been changed by this debilitating disease.”
No one would understand that better than Diane Hiscoe, whose son Chris passed away at age 13 from a sudden heart death. She will be onhand to address parents’ concerns, along with Susan May, Kim Wakeling, Eva McLaughlin, Coreen Jurson and Winship’s daughter, Hannah, who attends GHCA.
“This will be a mostly day-long event with information on the disease for students to see and ask questions about as well as take home,” said Winship.
At their table set up in the main hallway, Winship and friends will have Valentine treats, home-made Valentine cards and cure bands (sports wrist bands) to purchase to show support for awareness for the disease.
“I am blessed with some wonderful friends who are making heart-shaped sugar cookies, cupcakes, dark chocolate decorated Hershey’s kisses and chocolate dipped potato chips to sell alongside some home-made Valentines,” added Winship.
All items will be affordable.
“Everyone will be able to make a small purchase,” said Winship. “That keeps everyone, especially the little ones, happy and all money goes to further research for this disease to find a cure some day.”
All proceeds will be sent to the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation. The foundation (CCF) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to finding causes and cures for pediatric cardiomyopathy through the support of research, education, awareness and advocacy.
Parents and the public are welcomed and encouraged to stop in and browse the material and goodies offered that day, added Winship.
Since GHCA is the first school to hold an awareness day/fundraiser for this disease, Winship is hoping that it may “spur others to do the same at their schools.”
