Understanding Congenital Heart Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

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Congenital heart defects refer to defects in the heart that children are born with. These are one of the most common congenital defects globally. In India too, 200,000+ children are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). These are the numbers of the cases that are recorded – there maybe many more which go undiagnosed and hence untreated. Only 25 per cent of the children diagnosed with a congenital heart defect are able to get the required treatment. A lack of awareness and access to resources are the biggest challenges in children getting timely treatment. Organisations like Genesis Foundation, a congenital heart foundation India has been taking steps to both build awareness and provide financial treatment to those who cannot afford the cost of treatment. The treatment for CHD is expensive and families that do not earn enough to meet their daily needs have to depend on funds they receive as a congenital heart disease donation to support the treatment. Symptoms of Congenital Heart
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Why are people scared to donate and how to win them over

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We live in a society where some people are always there to help the needy people while others are willing to give but scared because they’re clueless about the methods of donation or scared of being fooled into fake causes. As middle class Indians, we are led to believe that most NGOs are a scam and the proportion of funds actually reaching the intended people is way too less. 

Those of us who feel like doing some social work in other ways, choose the route of volunteering – teaching poor kids, feeding people at an orphanage or a temple, and so on. There is no doubt that the gratification of a real interaction beats donating money via “unreliable” organisations every time.

But the truth is that there is never going to be a zero-corruption mechanism for aid delivery. Moreover, for working professionals, it is hard to volunteer personally with any regularity. To stay away from charity for fear of corruption is like staying away from driving for fear of traffic jams. Beyond a point, you have to accept that there is no perfect world and take the leap of faith. I think it’s important to do something and fail rather than not do anything at all. 

Here are top reasons why people are scared to give (And how to change that!)

1. Lack of financial resources
The first step to combat this mindset is to give people an option to donate small, affordable amounts. For example, in India, that has a population of roughly 133.92 crores; if even half of that population donates Rs. 1 to a charity, the collected amount would be around 66.96 crores, which is a lot!

2. Volunteering instead of donating money
Financial support is the backbone of all NGOs. For example, in fund raising events for childcare, it is vital that your audience is convinced of the utilization of the collected funds. A tailored campaign for regular donors helps bring in more resources.

3. Lack of trust in NGOs
Given the number of frauds happening online, this mindset is completely valid. It’s important to convince people of the credibility of an NGO by having proof of it by keeping all online documents up to date. Annual reports, case studies and testimonials by beneficiaries add an extra layer of trust.

4. Appeal to Empathize
It has been proven through research that we, as humans, feel empathy when we hear the story of a particular person as opposed to statistics or general statements. Personal stories appeal to potential donors more than anything else. 

5. Are NGOs really helping?
This is certainly a valid question for someone who goes through statistics with an outsider’s perspective. But it’s essential to educate people and make them aware about the work that an organization does. By telling people exactly where their donations will go or what they are going towards, helps build trust. For instance, Genesis Foundation, an NGO working in the healthcare sector for Congenital Heart Defects in India publishes every case study of the child and gives all the details along with regular annual reports.

Personally I feel one of the best ways to ask for donation is through fund raising events for childcare. It gives people a chance to interact and enjoy at the same time and doing it for a cause, working like a method of gratification.

- Contributed by Tanya Bhagchandani


Location: Gurugram, Haryana, India

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