FINDING BRAVE
HEARTS
Louisville physicians and
families are collaborating to
help children suffering from
debilitating heart defects.
Built on collaboration and
community interaction, the
Brave Hearts program combines a summer get-away
for children with year round
relief for parents coping with
medical setbacks to their
young ones. The idea began nearly 20 years ago, and
has since blossomed into a
successful program attracting families throughout the
state.
Walt Sobczyk, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist at Kosair Children’s Hospital and with UofL
Physicians, who has also been
involved with Camp Brave
Hearts since its inception.
“I think the camp has been a
tremendous experience for
our children and their parents,” said Dr. Sobczyk. “Often
times, the week of summer
camp is the first time these
children have been separated
from their parents in any significant way. The initial separation can be difficult for both
parties, but it’s comforting for
the parents to know their kids
have medical supervision.”
“The parents of one of my
patients came to me and
asked what they could do
Physicians are stationed at
to improve the lives of othCamp Brave Hearts 24 hours
er children with heart probper day during the week. For
Sarah and Eric Karr with their son
Evan at a Brave Hearts event.
lems. From there, the idea
children and families still adfor a summer camp dejusting to coping with heart
veloped organically,” said
defects, there is a family foJames Boone, MD, a cardiologist with Pediatric Heartcused weekend of camping in February where parents
Care Partners.
accompany their children. The February weekend is available for children who may still need close supervision, or
Dr. Boone and his fellow cardiologists organized the origmay be a little younger and not quite ready to be around
inal Camp Brave Hearts at Trooper Island on Dale Hollow
large groups.
Lake in south central Kentucky with a local family, Joyce
and Dennis McClain, where it stayed for 10 years. Each year,
kids would stay for a week under the close supervision of
medical professionals. This allowed the kids a vacation,
and the parents one as well.
“We started with 22 campers, but we got to the point
where we outgrew the facility. So eight years ago, we
moved the program to the Center for Courageous Kids
(CCK) in Scottsville, Ky., near Bowling Green,” said Dr.
Boone.
For one week in July, Camp Brave Hearts takes over the
CCK with 70-80 campers between the ages of 6-16. While
there, these children who are rarely offered the chance to
play as a normal kid can do e verything a camper would
do. They can fish, play games, compete in sports and work
with arts and crafts, all under the supervision of pediatric
cardiologists such as Dr. Boone.
“It’s a wonderful experience, and the kids love it,” Dr. Boone
said. “They have the chance to do a lot of things they
normally wouldn’t get to and be in a safe environment.”
4
Supported by the Kosair Children’s Hospital Foundation, families who participate in Camp Brave Hearts have
no financial obligation to the program. Everything from
food to room and board are provided by donations made
throughout the year. Helping gather those donations of
support is the family-led pediatric support service which
also goes by the name Brave Hearts.
Operating independently for several years, the two services recently joined their efforts to benefit the community.
The family led Brave Hearts began 10 years ago with just
a few families who were privately struggling with heart
defects in their new born children.
Sarah and Eric Karr’s son, Evan, was born in February
2004. Although the pregnancy and delivery went as
planned, Evan was born with the congenital heart defect
known as Tetralogy of Fallot. Now doing great, Evan has
been subject to three open heart surgeries and five open
heart catheterizations. He’s a normal growing boy who
plays baseball, practices Twi Kwan Do and more. But in
VITAL SIGNS Volume 9 • Issue 3