“Every Heartbeat Matters” to Impact 1.5 Million Underserved People! Go Amanda!
By Adam Pick on June 5, 2019
I love hearing about great people at responsible companies doing extraordinary things!
That said… I want…. I need… I must… Congratulate Amanda Fowler, the Executive Director of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, for leading the Every Heartbeat Matters charitable initiative. This global campaign, which involves the education, the screening, and the treatment of heart valve disease is on track to reach 1.5 million underserved people by 2020. The original estimate was 1 million people by 2020.
Screening Patients in the Dominican Republic with Empowering Action
Reflecting on this wonderful achievement, Amanda shared, “Since the Every Heartbeat Matters initiative began five years ago, we have made substantial progress in building a global community that is addressing the burden of heart valve disease for underserved people. This year, we plan to continue growing our giving focus on Every Heartbeat Matters and deepening our partners’ impact with the engagement of our talented and dedicated employees around the world.”
The Every Heartbeat Matters effort is a big win for all of us in the heart valve community. Here’s how it works… Amanda and her team partners with 60+ non-profit organizations. The Edwards Lifesciences Foundation then provides grants to these non-profit partners who are tasked with a unified and global goal to reduce the global burden of heart valve disease.
Here’s a great video about Every Heartbeat Matters…
Every Heartbeat Matters Gets Into Action!!!
After Every Heartbeat Matters started in 2014, Amanda and her team did not waste any time getting into action.
Luckily, I have been fortunate to see Every Heartbeat Matters at work. Amanda and her team took me (and my film crew) on a medical mission in the Dominican Republic. There, I got to see first-hand how Every Heartbeat Matters transforms darkness into light.
Here’s the video we filmed about Dionicio Garcia, a heart valve patient, who really suffered from severe aortic stenosis.
If I remember right, this was the first TAVR performed in the Dominican Republic thanks to grants provided to the University of Virginia and Heart Care Dominicana from Every Heartbeat Matters.
So you know… It’s not just medical missions that Amanda coordinates.
No, no, no.
The breath of programs funded by Every Heartbeat Matters is expansive.
Here is another example of how the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation takes action. In this video, you will see the story of AJ, a child born with CHARGE syndrome. Together, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Every Heartbeat Matters came together to make AJ’s wish of having a backyard playground come true.
A Sustainable & Contagious “Force for Good”
The passion, the dedication, and the commitment of being a “Force for Good” is clear in Amanda’s approach to building Every Heartbeat Matters. Her enthusiasm about this initiative is downright contagious. Every time I speak with Amanda, she’s educating me on the latest, greatest program that her team is working on.
The best part about Amanda is that she LOVES her work. Amanda often says to me, “I have the best job in the world!”
Recently… Amanda touched, moved and inspired me (once again) when she shared the story of Berthony with me. Berthony, who was just 21 years old, was in bad shape. He lived in Haiti with no access to medical care. Berthony struggled with multiple heart valve disorders.
Upon hearing Berthony’s story, Amanda quickly mobilized the medical resources to conduct a special mission to help him.
Those resources included Dr. David Adams, the Surgeon-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital and founder of the Mitral Foundation, and the Haiti Cardiac Alliance which are Every Heartbeat Matters grantees. Here’s what happened next…
Go Every Heartbeat Matters & Its Grantees!
On behalf of the HeartValveSurgery.com community, many thanks to Edwards Lifesciences for developing and executing the Every Heartbeat Matters charitable initiative. It’s been so excellent to see the success of this program over the years.
Congratulations on achieving your goal early!!! Congratulations on educating and empowering so many of the 11 million people who struggle with heart valve disease!!!
High-fives to Amanda and her team!!!
Keep on tickin!
Adam
Written by Adam Pick
- Patient & Website Founder
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