Hearts Behind the Foundation: The Heart Whisperer

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My association with Genesis Foundation began in 2024. I feel so blessed to be a part of such noble work that looks only at child heart treatment. An opportunity to create meaningful change in the world. Stepping into the lives of individuals and community and giving them the best you can. I am grateful that through this field I have the power to uplift those who are struggling or are in need, in ways either by giving my heart and soul to the project or to create avenues for donation to charity that I am involved with. My first visit to the hospital to see a 5 month old baby in terrible pain, but a smile on her face left me with a flood of emotions through my mind. Since my school days I have been inclined towards helping others and most importantly giving back to society. I had participated in different social events but never ever had given a thought of taking this on as a career. My story of being a social worker was not meant to be, but yes destiny always pans out the way it’s suppo...
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Does Covid-19 affect children with heart disease?

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In December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) was initially discovered in China as a new emerging disease. Subsequently, it has spread rapidly among other countries including Iran, and eventually, it was declared by the World Health Organization as a “pandemic” on 11th March 2020. The Health Ministry said that the common symptoms among children might include fever, cough, breathlessness or shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, myalgia (muscle pains, aches, pain in ligaments), rhinorrhea (excess drainage, ranging from a clear fluid to thick mucus from the nose), diarrhoea, loss of smell, loss of taste. Meanwhile, few children might also show symptoms of gastrointestinal issues.


But having said that, it is also reported that the prevalence of symptoms is lower in children compared to adults. Coronary artery diseases, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmia have been associated with increased mortality among adults with COVID-19.



There is still a lack of knowledge and studies regarding children and adolescents suffering from congenital heart diseases (CHD) and COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infection may have direct cardiac involvement or indirect effects on the heart through respiratory and other organ involvements. As a Foundation working for children, Genesis Foundation has also struggled finding information. Theoretically, the effects of this infection on a pressure- or volume-overload heart in the setting of CHD may be more serious. In addition, risk factors for the severity of COVID-19 in patients with CHD are unknown. Genetic syndromes are usually seen in patients with CHD, but their effects in this situation are unknown. Discovering the impacts of CHD on the course and outcome of COVID-19 enables physicians to set priorities for emergency interventions. 

Although children with COVID-19 are often asymptomatic, special underlying congenital heart defects can predispose to serious and rarely fatal outcomes. Of particular importance is the burden of disease in patients with severe untreated obstructive lesions (Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOT) or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOT) and patients with significant Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). The RVOT is generally associated with Tetralogy of Fallot, Pulmonary Atresia. 

The clinical symptoms, CT scan findings, and laboratory parameters of COVID-19 are similar among children with normal heart or those having Congenital Herat Defects. Heart failure can be seen due to myocarditis or as a manifestation of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children presented with mild transient ventricular dysfunction without any rise in cardiac enzymes. 

As a children’s heart Foundation, we are closely watching the long-term effects of children with CHD and COVID, which is still an area of ongoing research. Genesis Foundation (www.genesis-foundation.net) is a Foundation working for children with Congenital Heart Defects. As a Children Heart Foundation, some of the children supported by the Foundation were infected with COVID before undergoing treatment for Congenital Heart Defects. But surgery was postponed until their Covid results turned negative, and currently they all are doing well.


References: 

M. R. Mehra, S. S. Desai, S. Kuy, T. D. Henry, and A. M. Patel, “Cardiovascular disease, drug therapy, and mortality in COVID-19,” New England Journal of Medicine.
Location: India

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