Big Heart Fund

We wish you a very merry Christmas from the Big Heart Fund! Earlier this year, the Big Heart Fund announced our transition to end providing direct support to CHD families and donate a final $25,000 gift to support the expansion of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Last week, we were proud to deliver on our promise and are excited to share even greater news.

The $25,000 Heart Institute gift made by the Big Heart Fund will be MATCHED dollar for dollar totaling $50,000! In addition to this tremendous gift, the BHF has provided an additional $3,500 in VISA gift cards to support CHD families and nearly $3,500 in goods to local nonprofits.

This Christmas season, we are thankful for the gift of support from our wonderful donors, volunteers, and board members that made this work possible over the past 6 years. The legacy of the BHF is one rooted in the compassion and generosity of community and we have been lucky to call our community our family over the years.

Thank you for helping us leave this beautiful legacy and we wish each of your families a merry Holiday season.

WE DID IT!! Just 3 months ago, we announced the end of our journey and beginning of a new legacy honoring the memory of Kellen Dorse and the tremendous work of Big Heart Fund. As we transitioned from providing hands-on programming, we set a goal of raising $5,000 to close the gap to fulfill our $25,000 legacy gift pledge to dedicate a permanent family-supporting space in the 31-bed Cardiovascular Unit expansion of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

Together, we surpassed our goal and raised OVER $7,500 to ensure that vital family support remains at the forefront of CHD care for decades to come! As promised, all funds raised over and beyond our goal will be used to provide family support in addition to the planned gift. Over the next few months and near the completion of the Heart Institute expansion in 2024, we will share more details on the family-supporting space as well as updates on donor mementos for those who gave at the $25, $75, or $150 level and above.

For nearly six years, your generosity, support, and partnership have made the work of Big Heart Fund possible, and because of you, we have impacted thousands of CHD families along their journey. To every person who donated, volunteered, helped raise awareness, purchased a wish list item, or hosted a fundraiser over the past 6 years, thank you for allowing us to fulfill our mission. To the amazing CVICU, CCU, and all Heart Institute staff who show up every single day to serve CHD families with dedicated passion and care, it was a pleasure working alongside you.

Six years ago, Kellen’s CHD diagnosis tragically altered my life and could have been the end of our story but the love, care, and support we received during our journey inspired a movement to re-envision comprehensive CHD family support and care for all families. I am proud of the work we accomplished, the lives we changed, and the awareness raised for CHD. In under 6 years, you donated countless volunteer hours and raised over $104,500 to support our programming. We are proud to share that nearly 90% of all funds raised were used to directly support thousands of CHD patients and families.

What an amazing legacy that each of you made a reality.

With heart-filled gratitude and love,

-Katrina Dorse, Kellen’s mom, and the Big Heart Fund team

UPDATE: We hit our goal! Every dollar raised above and beyond our goal through the end of the day will go toward providing additional CHD family support at Le Bonheur as part of our legacy gift!

Today is the last day to give! Right now, we are ONLY $140 away from fulfilling our final Legacy Campaign gift of $25,000 to the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. With just hours left to give, your donation will make an impact on pediatric heart health for generations to come. Help us honor the legacy of Kellen and the Big Heart Fund with a final gift as we end our journey.

As a reminder, every donor who contributes to our legacy campaign will receive a vinyl sticker commemorating Big Heart Fund’s years of service to Le Bonheur heart families. Donors who contribute at the $25 level will also receive a Big Heart Fund color-changing cup, and gifts at the $75 level or above will be recognized with a sustainable Big Heart Fund tote bag. Any gift of $150 or more will be honored with a commemorative Big Heart Fund ornament.

Donate here: https://bigheartfund.networkforgood.com/projects/157494-big-heart-fund-legacy-campaign?fbclid=IwAR2A3fxMAAStvLQpjWDq-m5Ag70dG5j_zNJTRSbNONPh8SMoIZIXHKhFnt4

W O W! As of today, we are just $690 away from fulfilling our final Legacy Campaign gift of $25,000 to the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. With just 13 days left to give, your donation will allow the Big Heart Fund to make an impact on pediatric heart health for generations to come.

As a reminder, every donor who contributes to our legacy campaign will receive a vinyl sticker commemorating Big Heart Fund’s years of service to Le Bonheur heart families. Donors who contribute at the $25 level will also receive a Big Heart Fund color-changing cup, and gifts at the $75 level or above will be recognized with a sustainable Big Heart Fund tote bag. Any gift of $150 or more will be honored with a commemorative Big Heart Fund ornament.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your continued generosity, partnership and support!

Donate to support the BHF legacy at Le Bonheur Since 2016, the BHF has provided support to families of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. In memory of Kellen Dorse and all of the CHD superheroes, together, we have impacted thousands of CHD patients, siblings, and families. ...

Friends,

We have been so moved by the outpouring of support and encouragement following our announcement of a new legacy for Big Heart Fund, effective June 30. We have also been overwhelmed by your incredibly generous contributions toward our final fundraiser. Thanks to you, we are 80% of the way to our $5,000 goal!

Every dollar given to our legacy campaign will go to further Big Heart Fund’s planned gift of $25,000 to the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital's Heart Institute endowment, enabling our organization to make an impact on pediatric heart health for generations to come. In partnership with Le Bonheur, Big Heart Fund will also receive permanent recognition in a family-supporting space in Le Bonheur’s 31-bed dedicated Cardiovascular Unit and induction into the hospital’s Good Hour Society. Both recognitions will celebrate the gift of Kellen Dorse’s life and the life-giving work of his mom and BHF founder, Katrina.

Your gifts have made our mission of supporting CHD families possible for the last six years, and your impact will be felt for generations to come. As a reminder, every donor who contributes to our legacy campaign will receive a vinyl sticker commemorating Big Heart Fund’s years of service to Le Bonheur heart families. Donors who contribute at the $25 level will also receive a Big Heart Fund color-changing cup, and gifts at the $75 level or above will be recognized with a sustainable Big Heart Fund tote bag. Any gift of $150 or more will be honored with a commemorative Big Heart Fund ornament.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your continued generosity, partnership and support!

-The Big Heart Fund team

Friends,

Six years ago today, our founder, Katrina Dorse, welcomed her son Kellen into the world. His life and CHD journey inspired the Big Heart Fund, which has served families of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital since October 2016.

Today, with great sadness but full hearts, we are announcing the culmination of this journey and the beginning of a new legacy for Big Heart Fund effective June 30, 2022.

From the beginning, Big Heart Fund has made it our mission to support CHD families through every step of their journey. Big Heart Fund has provided financial support to families through cash grants, gas cards, gift cards and meal vouchers, offering additional support to patients and siblings in the form of medical supplies, clothing, books, toys, games, customized superhero capes and care bags during and after a hospital stay. Recognizing the vital need to build community among CHD families, we oversaw the launch of the Heart Family Support Group and provided nearly 1,800 meals to inpatient families over the last six years.

During this time, the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur saw extraordinary growth and was recognized as a Top 10 Pediatric Heart Institute by U.S. News and World Report. Their world-renowned staff perform nearly 400 heart procedures a year and provide exemplary outpatient care for CHD families. To meet the growing need for exceptional pediatric cardiac services, Le Bonheur recently announced a $37.6 million expansion of the Heart Institute, which is currently underway.

While we are saddened to see our hands-on programming for heart families at Le Bonheur come to an end, we are excited to announce that the Big Heart Fund legacy will make an impact for generations to come through a planned gift of $25,000 to the hospital’s Heart Institute. In partnership with Le Bonheur, Big Heart Fund will receive permanent recognition in a family-supporting space in Le Bonheur’s 31-bed dedicated Cardiovascular Unit and induction into the hospital’s Good Hour Society.

For nearly six years, your generosity, support, and partnership have made the work of Big Heart Fund possible, and we invite you to contribute to this final legacy opportunity by helping us close the gap of $5,000 to meet our goal. Every dollar given will go to further Big Heart Fund’s legacy investment in Le Bonheur’s Heart Institute endowment, and every donor who contributes to our final fundraising campaign will receive a vinyl sticker commemorating Big Heart Fund’s years of service to Le Bonheur heart families. Donors who contribute at the $25 level will also receive a Big Heart Fund color-changing cup, and gifts at the $75 level or above will be recognized with a sustainable Big Heart Fund tote bag. Any gift of $150 or more will be honored with a commemorative Big Heart Fund ornament.

Whether you give in celebration of Kellen’s 6th birthday, in memory of a loved one in your own life or in celebration of 6 years of meaningful service from Big Heart Fund, we are grateful for your consideration and your contributions. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for six years of love and support!

Donate to the BHF Legacy Fund here: https://bigheartfund.networkforgood.com/projects/157494-big-heart-fund-legacy-campaign

It's Congenital Heart Disease Awareness week and the Big Heart Fund has been busy meeting the needs of CHD families across the Mid-South! Every year, 1 in 100 babies are born with a congenital heart defect and 25% will require life-saving heart surgery before their 1st birthday.

For CHD families receiving treatment at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, the Big Heart Fund provides social and financial support to ensure that no family walks the CHD journey alone. Over the past few weeks alone, we have provided:

-$250 in VISA gift cards to assist families with every day expenses
-$200 in gas cards for parents to get back and forth to the hospital
-12 Heart Transplant support bags including a cooler, hand sanitizer, face masks, and pulse oximeters
-15 baby scales to help parents at home monitor their child's health
- A financial grant to a CHD family in need

Our work is not possible without your support and we thank you for being the sidekick to our CHD superheroes battling everyday. Visit to support or learn more: www.bigheartfund.org/donate

Less than two days until 2022 but there is still time to support the Big Heart Fund! A month ago, we set a goal to raise $5,000 to fund our monthly dinners program for heart families at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and we are only about $1,000 away!

Michelle Harris Grandberry, CVICU and CCU clinical nursing director, shares her thoughts on the impact of the Family Dinners program:

“Having a sick child is one of the most stressful things a parent will experience. When that sickness involves critical heart disease and an Intensive Care Unit stay, that stress is magnified exponentially.
As a caregiver for these patients for over two decades, it is comforting to know that there is someone out there who cares for the basic needs of these families. Big Heart Fund provides monthly meals for families of hospitalized cardiac patients. These are hot, filling meals served by volunteers with the Big Heart Fund.
The amount of love and support shown during this time is tremendous. Being able to meet the most basic needs of our parents is one of the many contributions of the Big Heart Fund.”

With your gift of $25, $50, or $100, Big Heart Fund could deliver nearly 500 meals in 2022. Join us to extend warmth and care to CHD families. Make a gift today of ANY amount to help us close the gap of $1,000! Visit www.bigheartfund.org/donate or give on this post!

WOW! 3 weeks ago, we announced our goal to raise $5,000 by December 31st and we are nearly there! Together, we have raised $3,155 toward our goal! This year, the Big Heart Fund was able to relaunch our monthly dinners program and we look forward to continuing to serve CHD families in 2022 but we need your help. The monthly dinners program costs nearly $5,000 a year and your donation today will help the Big Heart Fund bring comfort to a CHD family at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Make a gift today at www.bigheartfund.org/donate or give through our page!

Last minute holiday shopping? Shop for a cause to support the Big Heart Fund!

When shopping on Amazon, just go to www.smile.amazon.com and select the Big Heart Fund as your charity of choice and a portion of your purchase will be donated to the BHF automatically!

THANK YOU!

This , you helped the Big Heart Fund raise $2,500 toward our goal of $5,000! All money raised by December 31st will support our monthly dinner program for CHD patients and families at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and we can’t do it without your help. Bringing a warm, comforting meal to a heart family during one of the most financially and emotionally stressful times in their lives is one of our most impactful programs.

Yesterday, we were able to deliver 40 pre-packaged meals from Chick-fil-A to families and patients in the CVICU and CCU. We know what it’s like to be an anxious parent at the bedside while your child is recovering from heart surgery and the Big Heart Fund is able to bring some comfort through our dinners program. Donate today to help us close the gap to serve CHD families at Le Bonheur! Visit www.bigheartfund.org/donate to make a gift today!

ALMOST TO OUR GOAL! And your support is making a huge difference for children and families living with CHD. Thanks to generous donors like you on , Big Heart Fund is ready and waiting to respond to requests for support, resources and care to help make life a little easier for heart families at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

Child Life Specialist Morgan Morgan is one of our organization’s primary points of contact at the hospital, and shared her thoughts about the importance of support for kids and families from Big Heart Fund:

“The Big Heart Fund helps me provide a sense of normalcy (and even some special moments) for children in the hospital.

As the child life specialist in the Heart Institute, I rely on the donations from BHF to provide support for my families. This year, specifically, they helped to support the many infants we serve by providing a clothing donation for long-term infants, as well as other developmental items to support their growth.

The Big Heart Fund is always willing to help out with an eager YES! I cherish their support.”

For five years and growing, Big Heart Fund has impacted hundreds of families facing CHD across the Mid-South and together, we can ensure that we can continue to be there for CHD families when they need us most. Help Big Heart Fund move forward with our mission, and contribute any amount to help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 by December 31st. Visit www.bigheartfund.org/donate or give on this post!

WE’RE GETTING CLOSER TO OUR GOAL! And we can’t thank you enough for helping us to get there this .

One of the benefits to our nonprofit’s small size is the flexibility we have to respond to immediate or urgent requests to support heart families at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Three times just this fall, the Child Life Specialist working with CHD patients reached out to Big Heart Fund for help meeting a small, but specific, need on the heart units.

Requests included easily sanitized portable soothers for cardiovascular intensive care unit cribs; side-snapping onesies to accommodate patients with monitors and leads on their chests; and an updated part for the portable gaming system donated last year from Big Heart Fund to the CVICU to help patients feel more at home during lengthy inpatient stays.

Big Heart Fund was honored and able to meet each of these requests within 72 hours of the expressed need, and Jessica Liles, Le Bonheur’s Child Life director, shares her perspective on the impact of support resources like those Big Heart Fund provides:

“While serving patients and families in the hospital, there are often needs identified that reach beyond the scope of what we are able to provide. Community partners, like the Big Heart Fund, help to extend the reach of how we meet more than the medical needs of our patients and families.

Big Heart Fund’s generosity allows us to meet families where they are, meeting their needs and promoting normalizing experiences that may feel small or insignificant to others. By helping to provide side-snapping onesies for our tiniest cardiac patients, these patients and these families are able to experience wearing a onesie that accommodates their wires, leads and tubing.

And because keeping our cardiac patients healthy is a top priority in their healing, every effort is taken to reduce their exposure to germs. Special sensory soothers for patient cribs were selected that are easier to clean, and Big Heart Fund donated a set of five soothers to our CVICU. This soother is an important part of the hospital room for those patients where it is developmentally appropriate, and it grants our staff peace of mind to know these easier-to-clean soothers will safely bring comfort to kids during a hospital stay.”

Help continue to make Big Heart Fund’s mission possible by making a donation in any amount to support our efforts caring for heart families at Le Bonheur. Visit www.bigheartfund.org/donate
or give on this post to help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 by December 31st!

We are getting closer to our goal! All gifts made this will be matched up to $1,500 and we need your help! We are striving to continue our mission to care for families of heart patients at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, and this important work would not be possible without your generous support.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Big Heart Fund has been able to continue in our service to families throughout the pandemic. Since the onset of COVID-19, Big Heart Fund has provided:

• Nearly 150 toys and games
• $3,500 in Visa gift cards to heart families
• 13 financial grants totaling $6,500
• 30 heart transplant care bags
• Support to the CVICU toiletry cart
• Over 240 meals for inpatient families

Claire Prince, Transplant Social Worker for Le Bonheur, offers her insights on the importance of Big Heart Fund to Le Bonheur heart families:

“As the cardiac transplant social worker at Le Bonheur, I see firsthand the work that the Big Heart Fund does. Many of the children that I work with have to spend weeks or months in the hospital. The stress that puts on their families is tremendous.

When there are things that a family needs that are beyond their reach and the hospital can’t provide it, I always know where to turn. Whether it’s a gas card for families who have to travel in for treatment, a specially made vest for a young child with equipment he needs to carry with him at all times, or financial assistance to just keep the lights on I know I can always turn to the Big Heart Fund when we need help.

In times of celebration and in times of grief, the Big Heart Fund is right there with our heart families every step of the way.”

Help Big Heart Fund move forward with our mission, and contribute any amount to help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 by December 31st. Visit www.bigheartfund.org/donate or give on our post!

This , the funds raised today will help provide a full year of monthly dinners for heart families at Le Bonheur. CHD families staying in the pediatric Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) are treated to dinner once a month by Big Heart Fund. Michelle Harris Grandberry, CVICU and CCU clinical nursing director, shares her thoughts on the impact of the Family Dinners program:

“Having a sick child is one of the most stressful things a parent will experience. When that sickness involves critical heart disease and an Intensive Care Unit stay, that stress is magnified exponentially.

As a caregiver for these patients for over two decades, it is comforting to know that there is someone out there who cares for the basic needs of these families. Big Heart Fund provides monthly meals for families of hospitalized cardiac patients. These are hot, filling meals served by volunteers with the Big Heart Fund.

The amount of love and support shown during this time is tremendous. Being able to meet the most basic needs of our parents is one of the many contributions of the Big Heart Fund.”

Because of your generosity, Big Heart Fund will be delivering 40 comforting dinners tomorrow to heart families at Le Bonheur to extend some warmth and care into the holidays.

Make a gift today of any amount to help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 by December 31st. Visit www.bigheartfund.org/donate or give on this post!

As the holiday season kicks off, it is time for one of our favorite fundraisers of the year! Giving Tuesday is tomorrow, November 30th and we invite all of our supporters to join us in a day of giving and supporting our work. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have provided social, emotional, and financial support to hundreds of CHD families and it has only been possible because of you! Help us reach our goal of raising $3,500 by December 31st by donating OR creating your very own Facebook fundraiser! Just follow this link to get started: https://www.facebook.com/fund/kellensbigheartfund/

Shopping on Cyber Monday? Shop for a cause to support the Big Heart Fund!

When shopping on Amazon, just go to www.smile.amazon.com and select the Big Heart Fund as your charity of choice and a portion of your purchase will be donated to the BHF automatically!