Two Rochester families have special days of fun coming up, thanks to the American Heart Association and generous donors.
The American Heart Association donated packages to families of two children with congenital heart defects at Golisano Children’s Hospital on Wednesday. The Summer of Fun Vermont Teddy Bear packages included a Love Your Heart Bear, which features a scar on its chest, along with tickets to the Strong Museum of Play, the Rochester Museum & Science Center, Seabreeze, Rochester Knighthawks, Rochester Amerks and the Memorial Art Gallery.
Left – Dr. Rajiv Devanagondi with Finley Ruthven and family, Right – Dr. George Porter with Infinity Simmons and family
The teddy bear packages were presented to Infinity Simmons and her family and Finley Ruthven and her family. The delivery was made possible by donations from Gavin Brownlie, of Crosby Brownlie, and Beth Howard, of Postler & Jaeckle. The donations were made at the Rochester Heart Ball last month.
A congenital heart defect (CHD) results when the heart, or blood vessels near the heart, don’t develop normally before birth. About 40,000 children in the U.S. are born with a heart defect each year. Most of these children can be treated, even if the defect is severe. At least eight of every 1,000 infants born each year have a heart defect.