We are filled with gratitude to everyone who helped to further our mission during the 2023 Children’s HeartLink Global Gathering on October 28. 

So many of our supporters joined us — donors, sponsors, medical volunteers, hospital partners, members of our board of directors and more — to celebrate and raise funds for transforming pediatric heart care in underserved parts of the world.

Whether you attended the Global Gathering in person, joined us virtually, donated or participated in our auction, we want to express our extreme gratitude for your lifesaving generosity. And, for your belief in the work that is happening in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam.

YOU make the difference

Because of your support, heart care teams at our 21 hospital partners and the medical volunteer teams they work alongside can continue to provide children with heart disease the care they need. Each year 1.3 million children worldwide are born with congenital heart disease, 90% of whom currently lack access to the heart care they need and deserve. Children’s HeartLink partnerships provide training to heart care teams in underserved countries, so they can treat more children with heart disease. 

The Global Gathering’s Honorary Chair Omar Ishrak, former Medtronic CEO and chairman, said during the event that it would only take one life saved to make his support of our mission worthwhile. And we save so many more. Through our scalable and sustainable trainings, we’ve impacted the lives of millions of children around the world, giving them hope that despite being born with a heart defect, they can live a healthy life in which they thrive.

The evening’s moments to remember

There are so many uplifting and unforgettable moments to share from the 2023 Children’s HeartLink Global Gathering.

• The Global Gathering focused on our partnership with a hospital in Bangladesh, with décor and food provided to enhance the Bengali theme. The program for the night opened with a song from Bangladeshi-American singer/songwriter Palbasha Siddique accompanied by her husband Durjoy Siddique.
• Karim Bandali, Children’s HeartLink board member and Medtronic employee, spoke on behalf of presenting sponsors, Medtronic and Medtronic Foundation. 
• Elizabeth Perlich Sweeney received the 2023 Children’s HeartLink Founders Award for her transformative contributions to the organization over the years.
• Our emcee for the evening, Karla Hult with KARE 11, sat down with Elizabeth and the event’s Honorary Chair, Omar Ishrak, for an interview about their belief in the Children’s HeartLink mission, and the transformation they’ve witnessed of pediatric heart care around the world.

  

• The event’s Live Auction commenced to raise funds to support Children’s HeartLink partnerships with the help of our auctioneer, Glen Fladeboe with Fladeboe Advancement.
• We heard from our hospital partner in Bangladesh, National Heart Foundation (NHF), in a recorded video message.
• We were inspired by Safwan, a child from Bangladesh who was born with congenital heart disease. Because the lifesaving surgery he needed as an infant was not available in his home country, he traveled to India for care. A few years later, when a second surgery was needed, he was able to have it at NHF. See how the Children’s HeartLink partnership between Leeds Children’s Hospital in the U.K. and NHF is working to provide lifesaving care to more children in Bangladesh with CHD like Safwan.

 

Did you miss the event? You can still donate to support our work. 

 

WATCH THE 2023 CHILDREN’S HEARTLINK GLOBAL GATHERING

 

Thank you to our 2023 Global Gathering sponsors!

Presenting Sponsors

 

 

Platinum Sponsors

 

Gold Sponsors

Eileen and Tom Armitage | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | Children’s Minnesota | Deloitte | Ernst & Young | Family and Friends of Mary McMahon Busch | Philips | Seattle Children’s Heart Center | Texas Children’s Hospital

 Silver Sponsors

Abbott | Allina Health Heart Institute | Andersen Windows and Doors | Ciresi Conlin LLP | Anu Codaty and Prat Verma | Jeff and Brynn Evanson | In2ition | KPMG | McGough | McKinsey & Company | Prashanthi and Abhi Patangay | Robins Kaplan LLP | RAZR Marketing | Stratasys

Bronze Sponsors

Bellisio Foods, Inc. | Bremer Bank | Jackie Boucher | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP | Ann and Joseph Dearani, M.D. | Peggy Johnson | Laura Kiser | Tatyana Makarova | Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation | Betsy Moran-Johnson and Brian Johnson | Elizabeth Perlich Sweeney and Mike Sweeney | Judy and Jim Rice | Carrie and Russ Rydin | Jacqueline and Kenneth Stein, M.D. | University of Minnesota School of Nursing

In-Kind Donor

Don’t Blink

Children’s HeartLink hosts our signature fundraiser in the fall. Learn more about the annual event and how to get involved.