Team Heart

Day 1 of HC Nurse Conference! Forty-two nurses from health centers attended from Rwamagama District! The attention and questions from the participants were amazing and they joined a call to action to Thank you to Rotary International for your support.

On your Birthday, thank you for all of your support, inspiration and dedication.

Working in Global Health not only offers unexpected bonuses but also has the potential to be truly transformative. After more than 17 years of working in Rwanda, what started as meetings have evolved into deep friendships. These relationships not only create more opportunities to collaborate but also foster a sense of care and support that goes beyond professional boundaries. This is the essence of the next generation of our community in global health-a network built on genuine care and mutual respect.

Mary-Louise Parker has supported Team Heart since 2019. Here are some photos from her first trip with Team Heart to Rwanda ❤️ you can grab one of her limited edition scarves while they still last!! $100 for each scarf sold goes to Team Heart ♥️ #

Mary-Louise Parker is our Rheumatic Heart Disease Ambassador. She has been traveling with Team Heart since 2019 gathering stories of patient’s experiences and giving them a voice.
She had said “I love honoring my parents by supporting Team Heart, a charity that strengthens and heals the hearts of children. My parent’s hearts were aligned in a way I now understand to be rare, if not extinct. They began their marriage after World War 2 in a rented room above someone’s garage, and with no money for a car, and barely enough for groceries, my dad scrimped and saved for a ring to hide under my mom’s pillow, and she hand-painted the design on this scarf on a necktie for him. It feels fitting, as my mother loved scarves, and never fulfilled her dream of being a fashion designer. I’m so proud to share a bit of their indomitable love and devotion with Echo and Team Heart.”

In 2024, Team Heart will focus on Five District Hospitals to strengthen cardiac care where it is needed most; at the entry point to the health care system. Through improving skills and collecting data to work with the local government and Ministry of Health, Team Heart aims to make the nurse central and the pivot point to improve care and increase awareness and prevention in the community that will serve 2.4 million Rwandans.

This scarf is printed in a limited, numbered edition of 100. $100 from each sale of this scarf from April 24, 2024 to October 24, 2024 will be donated to Team Heart. There will be a maximum donation of $10,000.

An amazing journey! We could not do it without YOU. 16 years ago today we completed our first surgical development trip. To sign up for our newsletter sent only once a month to follow our project, visit:https://teamheart.org/the-latest/

Team Heart joins Rwanda and all Rwandans in the 30th commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. We are pleased to have been part of Rwanda's commendable achievements in increasing access to cardiac care for all Rwandans in the last 17 years.

International Woman's Day 2024. A salute to those who inspire us to . Here, Nurse Yvonne, performs a cardiac echo to increase skills and access to care in Rwamagama District Hospital. An introductory and intermediate course in Cardiac Echo in partnership with Rwanda Biomedical Center opens the door to provide earlier diagnosis and referral for medical management and surgical care when needed.

Our screening team in action!!

Day 5 of training!!!

A few more hours to claim a tax deduction for 2023. If you are still looking, please consider a donation today. www.teamheart.org/donate

6 days in the OR
10 patients
17 heart valves replaced
Priceless moments ❤️
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We’re finished in the OR, and we’re starting to see smiles and hope in the faces of our patients 🥰
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Our first patient of this trip is up walking and on the mend !! ❤️❤️

Some of our patients and their mom’s just waiting for their surgery! Smiles represent hope for their second chance to life ❤️

Our team is headed back to Rwanda to save some hearts.❤️❤️❤️

Happy to join Gilbert from Love With Action, Rwanda and hear his inspiring story. Both Gilbert and Team Heart benefit from donations from First Presbyterian Church in Littleton, CO.

Rheumatic Heart Disease prevention and awareness starts with education. Educating the community about signs and symptoms, of strep throat and educating that early detection and treatment is vital!

We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who joined us for . Over the past 16 days, we've laced up our sneakers, hit the pavement, and collectively covered some impressive miles, all for a meaningful cause.

Together, we've run a total of 2,931.57 miles, showing our dedication to raising awareness and support for the beautiful people of Rwanda. Your commitment to this cause has been nothing short of inspiring, and it warms our heart to see such a passionate community coming together for a greater good.

Thank you for your unwavering support, your tireless efforts, and your dedication to ending rheumatic heart disease in Rwanda.

ONLY 2 DAYS left to lace up those shoes for Rwanda🏃‍♀️!

Whether you’re a professional runner or an amateur, a walker or sprinter, a cardiac surgeon or a patient, every beat of your run will turn into a donation. Share your distance with us via Text or WhatsApp at +1-612-747-9292.

Register now to participate: https://ow.ly/pqZG50PNQcP

Meet Esther N., schoolteacher and Corcym mechanical heart valve recipient!

When she was just 20 years old, Esther started to experience symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease. As her health deteriorated, she was forced to stop working as an assistant schoolteacher. She underwent cardiac surgery on November 12, 2022, with Team Heart and Rwanda's new Cardiac team giving her a new CORCYM mitral valve. Since her surgery, her health and vitality have improved dramatically. Esther has gone back to her job as an assistant schoolteacher which allows her to support her family, pay the rent, and pay back the loans she used while ill. However, missing pay when traveling for her follow-up check-ups, and covering medication costs leaves her nothing to build a future. Esther dreams of starting a business to cook for neighbors to help make ends meet while going to school and obtaining a degree to become a higher-level teacher.

There are only 3 days left to get running to support patients like Esther who share the same challenges and needs to return to a productive and fulfilling life - with a hand up! For every additional 100 kilometers over last year’s total, Corcym will donate a month's worth of support to some of last year's valve recipients.

Register now to participate: https://corcymbeat.corcym.com

We've run 1,100 miles & now has gone to the dogs! Whether you walk 1 mile or a hundred with your furry companion this weekend, share your distance with us via Text or WhatsApp at +1-612-747-9292.

For bonus: snap and share a selfie of you and your 4-legged friend with your corcymbeat bib.

Each step of your run/walk will turn into a donation. For every 62 miles covered, one heart valve will be donated to Team Heart!

FINAL DAYS to join the ” Challenge 🏃‍♀‍! Through the immense generosity of Corcym, every beat of your run will turn into a donation to help treat young people currently suffering from rheumatic heart disease and support essential resources for past patients to pursue ways to earn income for their families.

We’re calling on our community of volunteers, supporters, nurses, physicians, cardiac surgeons, and health care suppliers to join us! You can do your part to usher in a new era for Rwanda by:
📧Register at https://corcymbeat.corcym.com
🏃‍♂️From now thru Sep. 24, download your racing bib, and track your mileage
🤳Share a selfie during your run with the hashtag

Meet Esther N., schoolteacher and Corcym mechanical heart valve recipient!

When she was just 20 years old, Esther started to experience symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease. As her health deteriorated, she was forced to stop working as an assistant schoolteacher. She underwent cardiac surgery on November 12, 2022, with Team Heart and Rwanda's new Cardiac team giving her a new CORCYM mitral valve. Since her surgery, her health and vitality have improved dramatically. Esther has gone back to her job as an assistant schoolteacher which allows her to support her family, pay the rent, and pay back the loans she used while ill. However, missing pay when traveling for her follow-up check-ups, and covering medication costs leaves her nothing to build a future. Esther dreams of starting a business to cook for neighbors to help make ends meet while going to school and obtaining a degree to become a higher-level teacher.

There are only 3 days left to get running to support patients like Esther who share the same challenges and needs to return to a productive and fulfilling life - with a hand up! For every additional 100 kilometers over last year’s total, Corcym will donate a month's worth of support to some of last year's valve recipients.

Register now to participate: https://corcymbeat.corcym.com

Education is a large part of what we do. We are educating Rwandan residents, nurses, doctors, and patients throughout our stay. This education helps provide the patients with the best care for when we leave!