A Message from Our Chairmen
Elizabeth and I are excited to be chairing this year’s Heart Ball which is themed “The Big Deal.” We think that this year will be one of the greatest Heart Balls ever thrown and are grateful to have the opportunity to participate in it. We are even more thankful to you, the people who give of their time, talent, and money to support the American Heart Association and all of the wonderful things that the Association does to improve the lives of people affected by heart disease and the lives of those who love them.
Our story begins at ECM Hospital the day after our daughter Martha was born. A pediatrician noticed a heart murmur during a routine exam and scheduled a follow up appointment with a pediatric cardiologist in Huntsville. While we were certainly concerned, we were told that it was most likely nothing to worry about – that often heart murmurs did not indicate serious trouble. We had no history of serious heart defects in either of our families.
Having only been parents for three or four days, Elizabeth and I were not prepared for what the cardiologist told us – that Martha had a very serious congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot, or TOF for short. TOF consists of four separate malformations– the most easily understood being a hole between the two bottom chambers of the heart. The primary symptom is low blood oxygen saturation that can result in “tet spells,” episodes were low levels of oxygen in the blood can cause a sudden loss of consciousness and in a worst case scenario, brain injury and death. Untreated, TOF will claim the lives of seventy percent of children by age ten and will almost certainly prove fatal by the time a child reaches adulthood.
Thankfully, through the dedicated effort and research of countless professionals and the unwavering support of the American Heart Association, TOF is no longer the death sentence it once was. Surgeons have been able to correct the defects associated with TOF since the 1950’s and patients making it through the surgery face a normal life expectancy with annual monitoring to ensure that the hole between the heart chambers remains closed.
Since the 1980’s, TOF repair has been carried out on infants, lessening the chances of terrifying “tet spells” developing during childhood. Elizabeth and I conducted extensive research and ended up in the caring hands of a surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital who, quite literally, saved Martha’s life by performing a completely successful TOF repair when she was only three months old.
Words simply cannot express the gratitude that Elizabeth and I feel for the local pediatrician who knew to send us for specialized follow up, for the cardiologist who continues to provide excellent care for Martha, for the doctors and staff in Boston, and for the support provided to all of these by the American Heart Association, which is in turn supported by donors like you.
Just last year, the Association led efforts for passage of House Resolution 318 in the Alabama House of Representatives, commending the Alabama Department of Public Health for their efforts around Critical Congenital Heart Defects (CCHD) and urging them to implement mandatory pulse oximetry screening on all Alabama newborns prior to discharge– a procedure which is expected to become part of the mandatory screening panel in 2013. This resolution helps bring to light the important issue of CCHD, the No. 1 killer of Alabama newborns babies, and the simple test that can help diagnose issues with these tiny hearts before they ever leave the hospital.
We are delighted that you have chosen to be a part of this year’s Heart Ball – and are confident that the event will be spectacular! Your generous giving means so much to so many as it touches on countless lives affected by heart disease. We thank you again for your support and look forward to seeing you this February.
Warm regards,
Ian and Elizabeth Berry
2013 Shoals Heart Ball Chairmen
