Curtis Kaufman

One of the reasons (there are many) I enjoy the Villara/DCA Capital Cup is that I get to share knowledge about Angels for Hearts with many of you who may not realize all what we do for heart kids and their families. You may not realize there are heart kids at all. Did you know 1 in 110 kids born are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD)?

Many of you may know that my daughter Kimberly was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) at the youthful age of 29. In November 2004, we were told she would need a heart transplant within 4 to 7 years. By September 2006, we found out she was not a medical candidate for transplant, and it rocked our entire world. In August 2016, she had a stroke, which has left her unable to feel anything on her left side from her chest to toes. She had to learn to walk again. As a father, this news was hard to comprehend…yet my daughter is resilient. Have you met her? 

 In November 2006, Kimberly started a project to help heart kids at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford; she felt if nobody could help her, she could at the very least help others. She began a friendship with Child Life Specialists at LPCH while we were at Stanford for her monthly appointments. She learned about Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) affecting kids. Let that sink in…kids. Not those old men. 

In 2008 her project became a 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt nonprofit called Angels for Hearts. Kimberly just wanted the heart kids to have a little normalcy in the hospital. At first, she wanted the kids to know that Santa found them, even in the hospital. 

Angels for Hearts is one-of-a-kind organization, filling a void that has never been filled. To help illustrate the importance and the impact the Angels for Hearts is having in the community, I want to share some facts.  

Heart Kids’ Reality:

• 1 of 110 children born are born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD)
• CHD is the number one type of birth defect
• More children die from CHD each year than from all the forms of childhood cancers combined
• There is no known cause for CHD, and no cure for CHD
• There is NO normalcy for heart children and heart families 

Angels for Hearts Impact:

• Our signature ‘Wishes, Wants & Needs’ Program – a quote from Child Life  “Angels for Hearts helps to ease the responsibility for the cardiac Child Life Specialists by allowing us to fulfill every heart child’s need with resources we would not have otherwise.”
• Angels for Hearts developed a first-of-its-kind golf program called “I ♥ Golf” specifically created for pediatric heart patients and their siblings. Golf is one of the only sports that heart kids can play with no restrictions. Angels for Heart provides each golfer with their own set of golf clubs, a golf shirt and all the tools they need to play
• Everything Angels for Hearts does is FREE to heart kids and their families  

I apologize for the length of this, but it is important to me that you know the “why” behind my ask, and the impact that your generosity is making. 

 For Kimberly, our family and every HEART family, every day is a bonus day. Every day is special in the life of a heart child and their family. Every day is also a challenge to survive. Your donation, large or small helps fund our efforts to help families with children who have Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). 

Help me make my goal of raising $65,000 and win the competition with the most donors. We were named the most engaged and spirited charity in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to they had to stop that competition. Now it is who has the most donors. We want to win this; every donor makes a difference we know this for a fact. 

Please join me in helping remind heart kids that first and foremost, they are kids, before they are heart patients. and make a donation. And don't forget to like our Facebook and Instagram pages @angelsforhearts #angelsforhearts so you are always in the know all things Angels for Hearts. 

Fairways & Greens,

Curt