Vital Signs Volume 9, Issue 3 | Page 4

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