HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-10-15 Daily Xml
Contents
Xml

HeartKids SA

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:34): On Sunday morning, I represented the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, the member for Kaurna, joining a few hundred children and adults for the HeartKids SA Two Feet & A Heartbeat Walk to raise awareness of childhood-onset heart disease and funding for this wonderful organisation established here in South Australia back in 1987. Since that time, HeartKids SA has evolved into an organisation supporting and advocating for those impacted by childhood heart disease.

Two Feet & A Heartbeat is a four-kilometre walk held in honour of the four lives lost to childhood-onset heart disease every week across Australia. Those keen to take on a great challenge can choose to walk the course twice and tackle eight kilometres in recognition of the eight babies born every day in Australia with a heart defect.

Childhood-onset heart disease is a 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. In South Australia, around 200 babies are born every year with congenital heart disease. In Australia each year, between 2,400 and 3,000 Australian babies are born with a form of congenital heart disease. It is, in fact, the most common congenital disorder in newborns, affecting up to one in 100 births.

Acquired heart disease refers to conditions that arise later in childhood, commonly because of infections or exposures. Often when we think of acquired heart disease we think of it occurring in adults, but that is not always the case, with some of the more common heart conditions acquired during childhood being Kawasaki disease and rheumatic heart disease. Along with congenital heart disease—a chronic condition that, for many, requires complex lifelong specialist care—growing up with a heart condition presents a variety of challenges for children and young people and their families.

Today, HeartKids is a national not-for-profit organisation whose support and advocacy helps give those with childhood heart disease a fighting chance to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life. I am proud to be a member of the Malinauskas Labor government supporting HeartKids SA with $1 million of funding over four years for groundbreaking pilot programs focused on the critical areas of early intervention for childhood-onset heart disease: in early childhood intervention, ensuring early detection and intervention; in mental health support for teens and adults; and in extending vital resources and support to families in regional and remote areas of South Australia, ensuring that no child is left without the care they need.

The goal is to explore how these pilot programs can be scaled nationally, ensuring that children across Australia benefit from the innovations and supports proudly developed here in South Australia and extending vital resources and support to families to make sure that all children in remote areas receive the care they need. Over many years, the Women's and Children's Health Network has been working collaboratively with HeartKids through Dr Gavin Wheaton, cardiologist and the patron of HeartKids here in South Australia.

HeartKids has five awareness and fundraising events each year: Sweetheart for HeartKids, Race to Remember, Two Feet & A Heartbeat, Hop for HeartKids and Hero for HeartKids. I want to make mention here of the member for King and the member for Newland, who earlier this year dressed up as superheroes for HeartKids; I think they were Supergirl and Batgirl.

Sunday's HeartKids SA's Two Feet & A Heartbeat Walk was a fun-filled family event with superheroes, HeartKids flags and hats, face painting, exercise workouts and, importantly to some at 9am on a Sunday morning, a coffee van. I want to thank Chief Support, Services and Impact with HeartKids SA, Tania Potts, who walked with me on Sunday, sharing with me the work being carried out by HeartKids here in South Australia.

Finally, I want to acknowledge each of the Heart Angels, and their families, who were recognised on Sunday by the lighting of a candle and a time of reflection.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT