The WCCHN

12/17/2025

Wishing you a season of warmth and connection, and a 2026 grounded in care, collaboration, and heart. ~ The WCCHN Team.

12/12/2025

Western Canada’s heart community is doing big things, and it all connects back to supporting families and kids with CHD.

Advancing CHD Care:
Specialists from across our WCCHN network helped publish new research focused on supporting teens with congenital heart disease as they move toward adult care. This work helps strengthen the resources and guidance families depend on during a major life transition.

Celebrating Excellence:
A huge congratulations to Dr. James Yashu Coe, recognized nationally for his exceptional contributions to pediatric cardiology. Awards like this highlight the dedication of the people caring for our heart kids.

Representing Western Canada on the World Stage:
Many of our pediatric cardiac experts are sharing their knowledge at the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery, one of the largest CHD gatherings in the world. Their expertise helps shape care not just here at home, but worldwide.

Every day, the collaboration and commitment across our network help ensure children and families in Western Canada receive the strongest heart care possible.

12/02/2025

For Giving Tuesday, we’re spotlighting the incredible grassroots efforts championing emotional wellbeing for heart kiddos across Western Canada.

Spotlight #3: Little Hearts Fund of Saskatchewan is easing anxiety and supporting calm during tough cardiac moments.

Anxiety Support Kits
This Saskatchewan project equips heart kiddos with grounding tools (fidgets, comfort items, sensory supports) to navigate panic and anxiety with confidence. It reflects deep care, lived experience, and community understanding.

We’re proud to help fund this thoughtful work and uplift the impact they’re creating for heart families in Alberta.

12/02/2025

For Giving Tuesday, we’re shining a light on community leaders strengthening CHD care through creativity, compassion, and connection across our network.

Spotlight #2: Heart Centre is helping heart kids build brighter developmental futures.

Early Literacy Kits
Nurses at BCCH Heart Centre are helping heart kids feel seen and empowered through story books that reflect their lived experiences. This project also fosters confidence and supports early development with caregiver education materials.

We’re proud to help fund this meaningful work and highlight the impact they’re making for heart families in British Columbia.

12/02/2025

For Giving Tuesday, we’re celebrating the community organizations building connection, awareness, and belonging for heart families across our region.

Spotlight #1: is strengthening support through education and family-centered events.

Retractable Event Banners
This project will create banners to improve visibility and awareness of welcoming spaces for families to learn, share, and connect. By reducing isolation and building community, heart kiddos and their caregivers can feel supported every step of the way.

We’re proud to help fund this important work and recognize the difference they’re making for heart families in Manitoba.

11/14/2025

Behind every successful surgery is a dedicated team of OR nurses ensuring precision, safety, and compassion. ❤️ Today, we celebrate our pediatric cardiac OR nursing teams—the steady hands and caring hearts who help make each procedure possible for children with congenital heart disease. 👏 Thank you for all that you do for patients, families, and care teams across our network. 💪👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

11/03/2025

💙 Supporting siblings matters too!
A new study is looking for kids ages 8–12 who have a brother or sister with congenital heart disease. The program focuses on mental health and wellness, giving siblings a space to learn, share, and feel supported.
🕒 Just 2.5 hours total
💵 $50 honorarium
📩 To learn more or sign up contact the research coordinators.
By taking part, your family can help shape better support for siblings of children with CHD today and in the future.

Calling CHD Siblings!

The University of Regina is seeking children (ages 8–12) who have a sibling with CHD, along with a parent/caregiver, to take part in a research study. 🫀

✔️ 5-week commitment (about 2.5 hrs)
✔️ $50 honorarium

If this is something that you are Interested in take a peek and reach out to the organizers of this study!

10/15/2025

💗 Spotlight on Collaboration in Fetal Heart Care
When it comes to detecting congenital heart defects before birth, it truly takes a team. At MIC Medical Imaging in Edmonton, sonographers and specialists are building their skills through training with Tiny HeartsCan Foundation, helping ensure that even the smallest heart differences are recognized early.

By growing the expertise of the care teams around you, families across Western Canada gain more support, earlier answers, and stronger connections to specialized care when it matters most.

We’re proud to see Amy Porter, founder of Tiny HeartsCan and a past WCCHN BoostUp winner, putting her project into action and helping strengthen the team of professionals around every heart family. 💙

Video Link in the comments.

10/08/2025

Every child born with a congenital heart condition shows us what real courage looks like. From countless appointments and procedures to everyday challenges, their strength, resilience, and hope inspire us all.

Today, we honour the bravery of everywhere—and the who walk beside them—reminding us that not all heroes wear capes. Some have scars that tell incredible stories. 💙

To our : you are fierce, you are , and you are our inspiration. 🫶

10/06/2025

💙👩‍⚕️ Happy Pediatric Nurses Week! 👨‍⚕️💙
From healing hands to endless heart, pediatric nurses are the everyday superheroes standing beside kids and families through every step of their care. You don’t just care for little heart warriors, you cheer them on, comfort their families, and make hospital halls feel a little brighter. 🌟

A huge THANK YOU to pediatric nurses everywhere for the skill, compassion, and dedication you bring to every shift. We see you, we appreciate you, and we celebrate you this week (and every week)! ❤️

09/23/2025

💙 Supporting siblings matters too!
A new study is looking for kids ages 8–12 who have a brother or sister with congenital heart disease. The program focuses on mental health and wellness, giving siblings a space to learn, share, and feel supported.
🕒 Just 2.5 hours total
💵 $50 honorarium
📩 To learn more or sign up see the original post below.
By taking part, your family can help shape better support for siblings of children with CHD today and in the future.

08/28/2025

WCCHN is proud to support our partners at CNOC Thrive and Congenital Cardiac Research Collaborative - CCRC in shaping better care for children with congenital heart disease.

Parents know best when it comes to their child’s development—and your experiences can help guide future research, education, and support for heart families. 💙

📋 Take the short anonymous survey and share your thoughts. Every response helps ensure family voices are at the heart of care.

The Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative (CNOC) and the Congenital Cardiac Research Collaborative (CCRC) want to partner with parents of children with congenital heart disease. Our goal is to create a family-centered approach that guides research, education, and awareness around developmental follow-up. To do so, we need to hear about what is important to parents and what their experiences have been around their child’s development. We have designed a brief survey for parents to share their thoughts on this topic.

Attached is a flyer with a QR code to the survey. Please consider partnering with us by completing the survey. Please also share this survey with others. We want to hear from as many parents as possible!

https://redcap.wustl.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=8K9LN8MWFHX7N7AC