Hi Everyone
Thank you for coming to Team ANNAtude's - 2016 NYC Marathon fundraising and awareness page for "CHD" or Congenitial Heart Defect Research. Please take a look at the video and you'll understand how important it is to support research to help those babies born with this condition.
Most people are unaware that Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defect in America, affecting approximately one in one hundred, or 40,000 newborns each year. CHDs are responsible for one third of all birth defect-related deaths and sadly 20 percent of children who make it through birth will not survive past their first birthday. Although a child is born every 15 minutes with a CHD, research continues to be grossly under-funded in America. Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding, only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research.
This is Annabel. She was born with CHD and is the star of the video. Thanks to funding, research, dedicated medical staff and a family that never gave up on her, she was able to pick her own pumpkin this year.
Team ANNAtude -2015 NYC Marathon Runners - James & Uncle John, Pauline and Des raised over $3,600 for research and we are all very grateful to the runners and supporters.
Now its 2016 and Team Annitude is back!On Sunday morning October 23rd at 9 am the walkers took part in the Congenital Heart Walk in NYC and under Team Anita, an amazing $8,650 has been raised so far.
Next weekend on November 6th James will run the NYC Marathon for the 6th time and hopes to raise further funds for CHD research. 
A note from James
"Annabel or Annie was born with a very serious heart defect. Due to the risk of infection it was only as recently as March of this year, when the girls were 2 & 1/2 years old, that Ronan, Ellen, Annie & Abbie had their first proper playdate. It has been clear on each visit that Annie is defying the odds and is determined to be just like her sister and friends.
If this little girl can do 4 open heart surgeries and keep on smiling, knowing there is more surgery in her future, then on one day each year, I can run for 4 hours (or slightly less hopefully:-), and help support research that will help Annie and other miracle babies who live and fight through similar challenges."
A note from ANNAbel's family
"As most of you know our little daughter Annabel was born with a very serious heart defect called tricuspid atresia with multiple heart defects that go along with that called atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect and pulmonary atresia.
She had a very tough start to life and spent the first 10 months of her life in the Neonatal intensive care unit and the Pediatric intensive care unit of New York Presbyterian Hospital on 68th street in New York city. She had 4 open heart surgeries before she was 9 months old, and survived more complications and setbacks than you could imagine.
Last year we made an awareness video of Annabel’s first 21 months of life.
Annabel (Annie) is now almost 3 years old and she is doing so much better than anyone ever imagined. She has a spirt and smile that we are so proud of. She spends her time going to playground and playing with her twin sister Abbigael and her doggy Keller. She has many therapists who have helped her along the way and each one of them would say Annabel is amazing. She learnt to walk at 18 months even though she had the muscle tone of a three month old when she was a year old. Cognitively she is “all there” and already knows how to play the system with her smile. She cannot go to preschool or daycare because her heart function is at about 70 percent and any illness could be life threatening to her. After four open heart surgeries, her heart is not “FIXED”. It will never be “FIXED”. Around the corner she is facing her 5th open heart surgery, after which the right half of her heart will be redundant. We are scared. But we will face it like every other challenge we have faced along the way with Annabel’s condition.
The American Heart association is a huge organization but it gives almost nothing to research into CHD. The sad reality is that they don’t see the profitable side of it. It is so much more profitable to deal with “acquired heart disease” in adults.
If you have been lucky enough to meet Annabel or many of the other heart warriors you will know how special these kids are. They have a lust for life and seem to be that little bit happier than the average kid. They deserve every chance at life.
The only way we can ensure that Annabel and all kids born with CHD’s have the best chance at life is by raising money for research into Congenital heart disease. Every year millions of research goes unfunded because there just isn’t enough money to pay for the research.
RESEARCH is the way forward. We want Annabel to live a long and happy life. She deserves it. She has earned it. She has fought and continues to fight every step of the way. As much as we know how horrendous the next surgery will be, we know Annabel will give it 150% to get through it.
We ask that you donate just a little or share Annabel’s video and promote CHD awareness to help the millions of kids and adults now living with Congenital Heart disease.
BECAUSE SHE IS WORTH IT!!!
Together, we ask that you share this page and spread awareness and those who can afford to do so, please support Team ANNAtude to help the researchers find new and long lasting ways to help those born with CHD.
If anyone is already planning to run the 2016 NYC Marathon and would like to join Team Annatude as a runner, just let us know.
For those whose preference is to cheer from the sidelines on the day, thats ok too. Please wear your Team ANNAtude t-shirt and we'll cheer the runners on together. The more the merrier on the course and the sidelines and the further the message of awareness will travel.
See you all at the finish line!
James,Mama, Dada
As the country’s leading organization solely committed to CHD research funding, The Children’s Heart Foundation dedicates itself to bringing health, hope and happiness to children and families impacted by a CHD.
CHF has funded over $8.4 million of vital, life-saving CHD research since its inception and there are so many talented researchers trying to improve the lives of CHD patients. Each year we strive to fund more and more projects yet each year, critical CHD research goes unfunded; we need your support to raise the crucial money needed to continue funding CHD research!
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