Enduring Hearts, an Atlanta based, national nonprofit whose mission is to fund innovative research that will improve quality of life for children with heart transplants, announced today their research totals and results of their family programs from 2022. Throughout the year, the nonprofit awarded funding to 8 research grants that aimed at increasing the longevity of heart transplants, totaling more than $2.75M.
The research Enduring Hearts has funded will have profound real-world impacts in the heart transplant community, collaborating with research institutions at Stanford, Mass General and Baylor. Enduring Hearts is the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to funding research that helps children with heart transplants live longer, healthier lives. Public misconception is that a heart transplant is a cure, while in reality a heart transplant on average lasts only seventeen years according to the Kaplan-Meier Survival Curve. Enduring Hearts funds the critical, often overlooked research needed to eliminate organ rejection, prevent life-threatening complications, and reduce the risk of a second transplant.
“Thanks to the research grant funded by Enduring Hearts, our research is focused on immune cells for pediatric transplant patients. This important study will help doctors to determine if patients are receiving medications at an optimal level, and may improve the lives of children with heart transplants by protecting the transplanted heart with fewer medication side effects,” said Dr. Stephanie Nakano, MD from the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. “None of our impactful work could have been possible without this organization that is dedicated to this often overlooked area of research.”
Additionally, in 2022, Enduring Hearts provided much-needed assistance to 211 families by donating $58,000 through its gas and grocery gift card programs. These programs, called Road to Recovery and Feed the Heart, provide pediatric heart transplants families with vital financial support to help subsidize the costs of burdensome and frequent travel to medical appointments and expensive grocery bills. In connecting with families, the organization became aware that the complications of taking care of children with compromised immune systems during these times leaves many families financially vulnerable. These programs aim to reduce stress involved with transportation and grocery bills, allowing them to focus on taking care of their children.
“The research Enduring Hearts has funded over the past year will have a profound impact on the pediatric heart transplant community by improving the longevity of pediatric heart transplant and giving these kids a better chance at life,” said Carolyn Salvador, the CEO of Enduring Hearts. “By providing grants to accredited research institutions, we’re grateful to continue our mission of supporting transplant families and improving the lives of children living with transplanted hearts.”
To learn more about Enduring Hearts, visit: https://enduring
Enduring Hearts is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to funding innovative research aimed at improving the lives of children living with transplanted hearts. Enduring Hearts works with a team of leading doctors and scientists in the field of transplantation, pediatric cardiology and immunology to drive leading-edge research that will make a transplant last a lifetime.