ACHA & EACH

About two years ago I decided to participate in Atlanta's annual Heart Walk which took place in Centennial Park. I don't know why this heart walk doesn't occur at the same time as the National Heart Walk but I have a feeling it has to do with the weather (breathing becomes quite the task when it's hot and humid). The event is pretty big consider all the range of  interest groups (insurance companies, hospitals, etc.) that participate in it along with the large number of patients that suffer from a wide range of heart ailments, their families and friends. One of these interest groups is EACH (Emory Adult Congenital Heart Center) the only adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) program in the state of the Georgia and it is the group I had joined to participate in the walk with.

Before the walk started, a young lady approached our table and asked what EACH was and what it did. After she received the information from one of the specialized nurses the young lady said: "I have a congenital heart disease and I did not know that these type of groups existed". My first thought was "Thank God she founds us" because I too had been in her shoes and I remember the amount of relief I felt when I discovered that there were organizations that focus specifically on the disease one has.

Now, I did not know about these groups and organizations until I was in my early forties so I'm hoping that the following information will help individuals with Adult CHD get answers to the endless questions sooner.

• ACHA (Adult Congenital Heart Disorder) is a national non-profit organization that seeks to extend the quality of life and lives of patients with congenital heart defects. There is no cure for CHD but much can be done to make the life of the individuals with CHD a better and productive one. http://www.achaheart.org/

• EACH (Emory Adult Congenital Heart Center) - I live in Atlanta and am fortunate to have a group that specializes in Adult CHD nearby. If you are not near a congenital heart center, ACHA has great Directory that lists all the centers in the USA - You can get it from their website for a price (cheaper if you're a member). They also have an electronic (PDF) version for free.  http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/congenital-heart/

• INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ADULTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE (ISACHID) - I lived in Guatemala for over 30 years and would have loved to have known about the existence of this organization. http://isachd.org/