Mikabella, was born with a Congential Heart Defect
Mika's Minions
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What do you do when you find out a child in your family has a congenital heart defect? Former Fort Collins Coach Tim Monty's granddaughter is battling CHD. He and his wife Kathy shared their story with us. Their story includes forming a team called Mika's Minions that will participate in the Rocky Mountain Congenital Heart Walk to raise funds to fight congenital heart disease.

The walk is Saturday, September 13, at General’s Park in Aurora. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk will kick off at 10:00 a.m.  The route is a 2 lap 5k around the Anschutz Medical Campus.  There is no cost to join this event, but participants who raise $100 or more will receive a walk T-shirt.

The Congenital Heart Walk raises awareness and funds for vital research, education, support, and advocacy programs for the congenital heart disease community.  The Rocky Mountain Congenital Heart Walk is sponsored  by Children’s Hospital and University of Colorado Hospital.

I had the opportunity to speak with former Fort Collins Coach Tim Monty & his wife Kathy about their granddaughter Mika's battle with a congenital heart defect. Check out this YouTube video:

Things You May Not Know About Congenital Heart Disease

  • A child is born every 15 minutes , 4 children each hour, with CHD in the US.
  • Nearly two million children and adults are living with a congenital heart defect (CHD) in the United States.
  • Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born with a CHD, making it the countries #1 birth defect.
  • CHD is the leading cause of ALL infants deaths in the US.
  • Twice as many children die from CHD each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined. Yet funding for pediatric cancer research is 5 times higher than funding for CHD.
  • Nearly half of all living with CHD also have neurological and developmental disabilities.

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