Each year, over 1 million children are born with congenital heart defects (CHD), yet only 10% have access to the specialized medical care essential for their survival. Since 2000, we’ve been committed to ensuring every child with CHD receives the life-saving treatment they deserve. Thanks to the unwavering support of donors, medical professionals, and volunteers, we’re saving more lives every day.
HeartGift serves children in remote areas or the world
with limited access to specialized medical care. Many suffer from congenital heart defects that, if untreated, lead to chronic illness and early death. With a single surgery,
these children’s hearts are fully healed, allowing them to
live long, healthy lives.
HeartGift connects children worldwide with limited medical and financial resources to life-saving cardiac care. Our approach requires multifaceted efforts, which include managing complex logistics, connecting children to expert medical professionals, providing financial support when local facilities are available, and leveraging strategic partnerships to equip hospitals and medical teams with the proper tools and resources to deliver quality access to care.
Our goal is to remove barriers and create sustainable programs that offer long-term solutions and equitable treatment for children in need.
HeartGift brings children to the United States for life-saving heart surgery. Dedicated hospital partners in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas and Louisiana provide care at no cost to the children and their families. Generous volunteer host families provide support and a “home away from home” for the children and parents during their medical stay.
HeartGift is transforming lives by connecting children worldwide with life-saving cardiac solutions. The HeartConnect Program expands HeartGift’s mission to increase global access to life-saving cardiac care for children with congenital heart defects and limited access to treatment. We collaborate with local experts to build or enhance pediatric cardiac programs, connecting healthcare professionals, volunteers, and resources to create sustainable solutions and expand access to specialized care worldwide.
In the United States, HeartGift partners with children’s hospitals in Texas, including Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, as well as New Orleans, Louisiana, to provide free, life-saving heart surgery to children from around the world. Local Community Impact Boards filled with business professionals and volunteers provide leadership at the chapter level, lending insight and sharing resources, moving HeartGift’s mission forward. Host families create a “home away from home” by providing a loving space and attending medical appointments during a child’s medical journey. They often speak the same language and cook familiar foods.
HeartConnect is transforming lives by connecting children worldwide with life-saving cardiac solutions. HeartConnect expands HeartGift’s mission to increase global access to life-saving cardiac care for children with congenital heart defects and limited access to treatment. We collaborate with local experts to build or enhance pediatric cardiac programs, connecting healthcare professionals, volunteers, and resources to create sustainable solutions and expand access to specialized care worldwide.
We cannot do this work alone. Our collaborative, inclusive, multicultural, evidence-based program serves children with profound medical needs. Each of our partners in the United States and in many countries around the world share our goal to provide access to specialized medical care for every child with a congenital heart defect. We are fortunate to have some of the most qualified and highly regarded medical teams, business minds, and passionate volunteers on our team, all with a steadfast focus on saving more lives!
Medical mission teams include pediatric surgeons and cardiologists, anesthesiologists, as well as nurses, respiratory therapists, and biomedical equipment specialists. Trips – ranging from 10 days to a month – give local children the opportunity to have their hearts repaired and live a healthy life, all at no cost to their families.
Our mission is to ensure every child with a congenital heart defect gets the life-saving surgery they need.
Your support is crucial to providing this care.
HeartGift partners with top children’s hospitals in Texas—Austin, Houston, and San Antonio—and New Orleans, Louisiana, to provide free, life-saving heart surgery to children worldwide. Local staff, alongside Community Impact Boards of business professionals and volunteers, provide strong community support to advance our local efforts. Host families create a welcoming “home away from home,” attending medical appointments and offering comfort, often sharing the child’s language and cultural traditions. Together, we make healing possible.
We cannot do this alone. Our collaborative, inclusive, multicultural, evidence-based program serves children with profound medical needs. Each of our partners shares our goal to provide access to specialized medical care for every child with a congenital heart defect. These “boots on the ground” organizations identify children in need of specialized cardiac care, directing them to larger cities in their home country, a neighboring country, or to one of HeartGift’s medical mission trips. HeartGift focuses on providing life-saving surgery and strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in the nations we serve. Surgeries take place in 10 countries around the world.
