Bangladesh

Nurses saved a child’s life using CPR techniques learned from medical volunteers during a training visit. 

Brazil

Little Lis, born with Tetralogy of Fallot, underwent a series of successful surgeries, including correction of her heart condition. This was possible thanks to the expertise of her hospital’s pediatric heart care team. The team received training from medical volunteers who supported them in growing their center into a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence. Today, they’re a lifesaving resource leading the way in their region.  

Malaysia

A Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence has advanced to train nurses at other partner hospitals, extending its impact globally. 

India

A young heart warrior diagnosed with Ebstein anomaly, a complex CHD, received a second chance at life thanks to her surgeon’s specialized training from world-renowned Children’s HeartLink volunteers. 

India

A nurse saved a child’s life after recognizing abnormal breathing, a skill she gained from the Nurse Residency Program (NRP) developed by Children’s HeartLink volunteers. Another NRP-trained nurse took the lead to guide eight of her colleagues through the virtual training, strengthening the skills of more medical professionals to serve even more children. 

Vietnam

Ngan underwent lifesaving surgery after her heart care team received expert guidance during a virtual case discussion with Children’s HeartLink medical volunteers. 

Children’s HeartLink medical volunteers in 2024 came from 13 top teaching and research institutions

Swipe to see what clinicians from our hospital partners from around the world had to say about Children’s HeartLink medical volunteers.

“You give us the strength and hope we need to keep going on. We have no doubt that this partnership is one of the main reasons we are and will be continuously improving every day!”

—Dr. Klebia Castello Branco, chief of pediatric cardiology, Hospital de Messejana in Fortaleza, Brazil, partnered with volunteers from Seattle Children’s Hospital

“With their help and guidance, we were able to set up robust protocol of ward to ITU [intensive therapy unit] handover, invasive line handling, awareness about hand hygiene and observing five moments of hand hygiene. And now, more confidently we could venture into more surgically complex cases.”

—Dr. Rhitajyoti Sengupta, pediatric intensivist, Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) in Kolkata, India, partnered with volunteers from Children’s Minnesota

“No words are enough to thank Leeds Children’s Hospital pediatric intensive care doctor and nurse team for the immeasurably valuable work they have been doing with us. They help us to understand our areas of improvement and at the same time encourage our care for children with congenital heart disease in resource-limited settings.”

—Dr. M Nurul Akhtar Hasan, intensivist, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute in Dhaka, Bangladesh, partnered with volunteers from Leeds Children’s Hospital

“For us junior pediatric cardiologists, they have not only demonstrated efficient work practices according to standard protocols but have also aided us in navigating complex challenges with our available resources.”

—Dr. Ngo Quoc Thai, staff physician, Heart Center, Vietnam National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, partnered with volunteers from University of California San Francisco

“We certainly gained so much and are trying to improve all the time to achieve our goal of becoming a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence under this collaboration. Bouquet of roses to everyone!”

—Dr. Ghee Tiong Koh, pediatric cardiologist, and Dr. Norliza Ali, pediatric cardiologist, Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Sepang, Malaysia, partnered with volunteers from Birmingham Children’s Hospital

“My time at Children’s Minnesota has left a profound impact on me, both professionally and personally. I returned to India with a wealth of knowledge, new ideas to implement, and cherished memories of a snowy winter and warm hospitality.”

—Dr. Amitabha Chattopadhyay, senior consultant pediatric cardiologist at Narayana Superspecialty Hospital in Howrah, India, partnered with volunteers from Children’s Minnesota

“By collaborating with Children’s HeartLink and Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute, we can access additional resources, training and support that will enable us to deliver even more comprehensive and effective care to our young patients.”

—Dr. Renata Mattos, head of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases at Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, partnered with volunteers from Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute

“She’ll skip a couple of her meals to stay next to the patients. She goes and supports the family, especially when the family needs comfort… It’s the human component that Dr. Arteaga brings to care that we learn from.”

—Dr. Vijayakumar Raju, chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at GKNM Hospital in Coimbatore, India, partnered with volunteers from Mayo Clinic, sharing thoughts about a member of the Mayo Clinic volunteer team, Dr. Grace Arteaga, who was awarded the Children’s HeartLink Founders Award in 2024

“We recognize that [they] travel great distances, deal with language barriers, travel across different time zones and sacrifice everyone’s vacation time in order to help our team. These journeys are to us in our efforts to save more Vietnamese infants who have congenital heart disease.”

—Dr. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery Department, Director of Children Heart Center, National Children’s Hospital, partnered with volunteers from University of California San Francisco