Connecting Heart to Heart: 2025 Global Gathering Recap & Impact

Ballroom full of people at tables with a lion performance onstage.

The Children’s HeartLink community gathered on Saturday, November 15, 2025 to celebrate and raise funds for training and mentoring partnerships and advocacy that expands access to heart care for children in underserved parts of the world.

The event held at the Hilton Minneapolis, was presented by Katie and Vivek Reddy, MD and sponsored by med-tech innovators, Fortune 500 companies, leading corporate partners, and individuals like you.

Thank you for sharing our belief that every child deserves a healthy heart!

By the numbers

580+

Guests in Attendance

53

Sponsors Committed

$760K+

Raised to support the mission

Global Gathering Highlights

The 2025 Global Gathering was a heart-lifting evening that affirmed the work we do. During the event, we welcomed old and new friends to our community and celebrated their generosity from medical volunteers to partners and sponsors—we cannot do this without you! Finally we listened to personal testimonies that strengthened our commitment to long-term partnerships that save children’s lives.

See highlights from the evening.

Katie and Vivek Reddy onstage speaking to a room full of people.

Katie and Vivek Reddy, MD shared how their heartfelt commitment to Children’s HeartLink’s mission is also a personal one.

Learn more about the Reddys’ story

Jackie Boucher speaking into microphone onstage.

Children’s HeartLink president Jackie Boucher highlighted the importance and impact of long-term support like that from The Ping and Amy Chao Foundation and Transparent Fish Fund. Their sustained investment helped cultivate an 8-year partnership between the medical volunteer team from University of California, San Francsico and partner team from Vietnam National Children’s Hospital. This is expected to result in Vietnam National Children’s Hospital becoming a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence in one of the shortest amounts of time.

Jackie Boucher and Dr. Fiona Reynolds posing with Founders Award in front of stage.

Dr. Fiona Reynolds was honored with the Children’s HeartLink Founders Award for her extraordinary commitment to transforming pediatric heart care. She began volunteering with Children’s HeartLink in 2007. Through her 18 years, she mentored specialists and care teams at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) until it became a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence in 2016 and is now continuing her work at Hospital Sultan Idris Shah, both in Malaysia. She also supported national changes to education pathways for the next generation of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals through her advocacy work there.

Learn more about Dr. Fiona Reynolds

Paul Folger, Dr. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong, and Dr. Fiona Reynolds seated onstage with audience watching.

Dr. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong, Director of the Heart Center and Head of Cardiovascular Surgery Department at partner hospital Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, was the special guest for the evening. He had a heartfelt conversation with Dr. Fiona Reynolds and host Paul Folger, news anchor from KSTP-5 TV, about the impact of Children’s HeartLink partnerships and the care needed in places like Vietnam.

Stacey McCurnin speaking toward two small children with artwork in hand on stage while Paul Folger watches.

Stacey McCurnin, auctioneer from Fladeboe Advancement, brought a taste of Minnesota this global evening as she led a rousing live auction including a surprise drawing from heart warrior Rowan.

Plus, 6 guests will be joining us to witness Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (under the extraordinary leadership of Dr. Truong) celebrate their designation as a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence!

Three Vietnamese lions on stage dancing.

The Doan Toma Thien Lion Dance Team kicked off the night with gravity-defying performances that electrified the audience and kept us in arousing spirits throughout the night!

A person hands a book to a patron across a table with toys in baskets while two others look on.

The Heart Finn Foundation and Children’s HeartLink partnered to raise awareness and support for children with congenital heart disease through Finn Kits, a creative activity for children and their families undergoing heart care.

Bidder numbers held up in the air amongst seated guests.

The Reddys, PrepMD, Hubbard Broadcasting, and CardioFocus led the way to multiplying impact for funds raised to Children’s HeartLink’s mission.

Continue the momentum. Donate now to save lives.

Guests were also among the first to meet Ngan, who received care from Vietnam National Children’s Hospital that wasn’t possible a decade ago. Don’t Blink’s moving video also highlighted our education model, which focuses on building local expertise to generate system support for children who need heart care.

Key Takeaway

Austin Chiang, Chief Medical Officer at Medtronic Endoscopy and Health Social Media Creator, summarized it best on his social media platforms following the event:

“Teaching a person to fish” is one of the most powerful ideas in medicine because education creates the kind of compound interest no single intervention ever could.

I’m not a cardiologist, but as an internist I’ve seen the results of how training, mentorship, and knowledge transfer scale impact in ways that individual procedures simply can’t. When we invest in people, the returns multiply.

That’s why attending the Children’s HeartLink Global Gathering gala was so meaningful. Their model sends expert clinicians from centers like Mayo Clinic and University of California, San Francisco to countries like Vietnam to train local teams in complex, lifesaving cardiac surgeries for children.

This medical education isn’t additive, it’s exponential. And the same can be said for any medical education program that builds local expertise to generate sustainable, compounding impact. ”

We cannot express our immense gratitude for new and returning members of our community. Thank you for gathering with us to support our lifesaving work. In training partners developing their pediatric heart care programs, children in need of heart care can continue to receive the medical services they need long after our medical volunteers leave.

Watch the full event

THANK YOU 2025 GLOBAL GATHERING SPONSORS!

Presenting Sponsors

Katie & Vivek Reddy, MD

Platinum Sponsors

Boston-Scientific-Childrens-HeartLink-Supporter

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

In-Kind

Don’t Blink | E Creative Events & Experiences | Minnesota Vikings | Scott Streble

Strategic Mission Supporters

Companies & Foundations

Individuals

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