Intermountain Healing Hearts (IHH), a new support group formed in September, 2007 for families of children or adults with congenital heart defects (CHD’s) and heart disease. Most of our members live in the Intermountain West (Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah) and are seen through the cardiology clinic located in Primary Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Intermountain Healing Hearts offer resources and a caring support network as families find answers and move forward to find healing and hope.

Outreach & Visiting

IHH connects families in crisis with other families that have survived the shock of learning their child has a heart defect, navigated the maze of medical decisions, understood procedures, and mapped out a plan for the future.

Accredited volunteers make on-site visits to parents whose children have been diagnosed with a heart defect(s) or are undergoing treatment. Outreach packets contain health information in either brochures or book form, if needed an extended hospital stay care bag is also given.

Internet and Telephone Visiting

Parents receive support by communicating with other members by phone and also have access to the IHH Yahoo Group.

Group Meetings

Support group meetings help parents or older patients know that they are not alone and that there is hope. After all, according to the American Heart Association there are more than 1 million people living in the US today that have a CHD(s). Members listen, share their experiences, and
discuss issues that impact the family.

Social Event

IHH encourage social events to bring members together to celebrate a theme or offer camaraderie among members and supporters.

Bereavement

In addition to what IHH offers for those families that have children living with CHD’s, IHH also offers a on-line forum, support group meetings and activities for those Angel Families that are dealing or have dealt with the passing of their loved one. Our grief can feel overwhelming at times…our hearts may feel shattered and broken. We may feel the need to share our grief with others, in a nonjudgmental, open forum. Perhaps we would like to share memories of the one we love who has died. Or maybe we just need
reassurance that our tears, our pain, our anger, and any other feeling that we may experience in relation to our grief is okay. This group offers a way to share our thoughts, experiences and feelings in order to find guidance, direction and/or advice.

Organization

IHH is 100% volunteer run organization. There are no paid positions, though an elected Board of Directors help in overseeing the organization. 100% of the donations go directly to help the organization in maintaining and producing educational supplements, outreach packets, care bags, and costs associated with holding support group meetings and social events that help bring parents and families together.

Non-Profit Status

Intermountain Healing Heart is recognized as an official 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization, IHH achieved the 501(c)3 non-profit status August 2008.

Donations

IHH is approved from the State of Utah to actively solicit for donations. Please see our donation page to donate through our PayPal account that goes to the organization. Each dollar counts in helping maintain the organization and our ability to reach out to help those in need.

Future

Eventually, Intermountain Healing Hearts in the future hopes to offer monetary grants to families that are enduring financial hardships due to extended hospital stays and also help in funding on-going CHD related research.