Champions of the Heart

We’re helping heartkids and their families navigate their heart condition for life.

Every 3 hours a child is born with CoHD

“When your child is sick in hospital the worries are endless and then there’s the utter despair of having our family separated” Mum, Rachael

The HeartKids Podcast

Featuring cardiologists, experts and people from our community sharing their stories. New episodes every fortnight!

UpBeat: An app for heart teens

UpBeat helps teens manage their health care information and get prepared to move to the adult health care system.

Race to Remember

Let’s race to remember.

Hop For HeartKids

Join us as a Starter School for Hop for HeartKids

The HeartKids Podcast

Featuring cardiologists, experts and people from our community sharing their stories. New episodes every fortnight!

Teen Camp 2025

Registrations are now open for HeartKids National Teen Camp 2025.

UpBeat: An app for heart teens

UpBeat helps teens manage their health care information and get prepared to move to the adult health care system.

Hop for HeartKids

Join us as a Starter School for Hop for HeartKids

Search for what you’re looking for here.

What is

Childhood-onset Heart Disease (CoHD)?

Childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) is the collective term for the spectrum of heart conditions that affect the heart’s ability to work efficiently.

Heart defects and conditions experienced from birth are known as Congenital Heart Diseases (CHD). Acquired Heart Disease refers to conditions that arise later in childhood, commonly as a result of infections or exposures.

Condition Types

What We Do

HeartKids is the only Australian charity dedicated to providing lifelong support, resources, and advocacy for the 250,000 people impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD). We provide connection and care informed by lived-experience to ensure no one faces this journey alone.

Our Support

CoHD is a lifelong journey, and so is HeartKids’ support. Our teams, many with lived experience, offer emotional and practical care, tailored to milestones like diagnosis, schooling, and adulthood, ensuring families and individuals receive expert guidance at every stage.

Our Impact

For over 40 years, HeartKids has provided much-needed quality services, support and solutions to more than 250,000 Australian children, teenagers and adults impacted by CoHD.

Our Resources

HeartKids provides trusted information and resources about CoHD. Our resource library is a one-stop-shop for all our CoHD resources, including fact sheets, podcasts, videos and more.

How You Can Help

Give to HeartKids

Your heartfelt gift will bring hope and transformation to over 80,000 Australians living with CoHD, and much-needed support to hundreds of families coping with the grief and loss of their child. Discover the ways to give and get involved today.

Community Fundraising

Find your passion and get involved in making a lasting difference in the lives of those impacted by CoHD. Discover our engaging community programs today. 

Get Your Work Involved

Discover how to get your workplace involved in transforming the lives of those living with CoHD today. 

Volunteer With Us

We greatly appreciate the gift of your time as we unite to support those living with CoHD. Explore the many ways you can volunteer with HeartKids.  

Latest News and Stories

Meet the Scientist: From Stem Cells to Heart Valves – Dr. Holly Voges’ Pioneering Research

From Left: Jessica Durrant-Whyte (Research Assistant), Serene Yeow (PHD Student) and Dr. Holly Voges (Senior Researcher) Welcome to our new Meet the Scientist blog series. HeartKids is thrilled to launch this new series which brings innovative research on childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) closer to our community, showcasing the real-world impact for those navigating CoHD.First up, […]...

Notice of HeartKids Annual General Meeting 2024

The 8th Annual General Meeting of HeartKids Limited will take place on Monday, 2nd December 2024 at 5:00 pm (via MS Teams). Members of our HeartKids community are welcome to attend. Agenda Associate Members Can: To join the AGM, please register with martine.musumeci@heartkids.org.au....

Building lifelong connections at HeartKids Teen Camp

At the end of September, the tiny coastal town of Grantville, located at the entrance of Victoria’s beautiful Gippsland region, played host to a group of heart teens, volunteers and HeartKids staff for our VIC/SA/TAS Teen Camp for 2024. Over four days, a group of 32 campers took part in activities designed to help them […]...

Supporting Early Development with HeartKids’ Better Beginnings Program

Children with Childhood-onset Heart Disease (CoHD) can face developmental delays, especially those who undergo surgery before their first birthday. These delays may go unnoticed until formal schooling begins. To help children’s development, a HeartKids Occupational Therapist created the Better Beginnings program. The program provides early assessment and intervention to improve outcomes. Parents learn valuable strategies […]...

Media Release: Champions get their hearts racing in the 2024 HeartKids ‘Race to Remember’

Champions get their hearts racing in the 2024 HeartKids ‘Race to Remember’ 17 September 2024 HeartKids, Australia’s only charity dedicated to supporting families impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) is excited to join with professional athlete ambassadors to launch 2024’s ‘Race to Remember’, a pulse-raising activity-based community fundraiser this October. The month-long nationwide event calls […]...

Media Release: Welcome to Hoptober!

HeartKids calls on all young Aussie Hop-Stars to Hop for HeartKids HeartKids, Australia’s only charity dedicated to supporting families impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) is rallying all kindy, pre-school and primary school kids to hop into Hoptober and help Aussie heart kids. Hop for Heartkids is the first pre-school and school hopping challenge helping […]...

Meet 2024’s Little Telethon Star -Florence! 

We’re excited to announce that Florence Shanks, a heart kid from Western Australia, has been chosen as one of the 2024 Little Telethon Stars! This wonderful news was recently featured in The Sunday Times and on Channel 7. Telethon, a major event in WA, will take place on October 19th and 20th, and Florence will […]...

Strong Hearts Strong Mob

2024 will see the development and delivery of initiatives that support and commits HeartKids to being an inclusive workplace, embrace working across diverse cultures nationally, act on true reconciliation and create and maintain strong relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities. HeartKids is developing its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and […]...

Good luck Hayley Raso | HeartKids Ambassador

Wishing ambassador Hayley Raso the best of luck as she plays for the Matilda’s in the 2024 Paris Olympics! The Matildas will play their first match on July 26 at 3am AEST. They will kick things off versing Germany, who are currently ranked fifth in the world. Their second game will be against Zambia on […]...

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website may contain images and voices of deceased people. It may also contain links to sites that may use images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Acknowledgement of Country

HeartKids acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we live, work and meet. We acknowledge the continuing connections to land, sea, waters and skies and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

HeartKids treads lightly on Country and works in collaboration and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD).

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