We are pleased to announce the release of the Oscar® winning film "Chernobyl Heart" - the second film in the double feature HBO® documentary series "America Undercover" airing in September. The film will premiere September 9th on HBO and will continue to air throughout the month of September. Featuring the work of the International Children's Heart Foundation in Belarus and Adi Roche of the Chernobyl Children's Project International, the documentary focuses on the continuing effects of Chernobyl on the children of Belarus.  A schedule of the HBO airing times is available here.
The Children Photographs
Mission Sponsors Local Facilities
ICHF Team Press Coverage

Of Nigeria's 130 million population, 44% are children 14 years of age and younger. Given a birth rate of 39 births per 1,000 population and a 1% incidence of congenital heart defects, it is known that 51,000 children are born each year in Nigeria with heart defects. However, there are essentially no facilities in Nigeria to surgically correct these defects.

To the parents of these unfortunate children, the evidence of their children's heart defects is undeniable. Instead of enjoying his "terrible twos" the child exhausts easily, cries endlessly in pain and frustration at his inability to play with other children and frightens his parents with the specter of death.

The KANU HEART FOUNDATION, which provided majority support for this mission, was established by the Nigerian Professional Footballer Kanu Nwankwo to help young children who suffer from heart conditions in Nigeria. When this foundation announced plans to bring the International Children's Heart Foundation to Nigeria, hundreds of families came forward in hopes that their child could be listed on the surgical list. Because of years of untreated heart disease, many of these children had progressed to the point that surgery could no longer help them. The others were prioritized according to their immediate need for surgery.

This International Children's Heart Foundation mission to Nigeria began to address this overwhelming need for surgical life-saving treatment of children in Nigeria with heart defects. In addition to the actual operations performed, we provided teaching for the local physicians and nurses and donated over $100,000 of medical and surgical equipment which may be used in the future for continuing mission. ICHF very much wants to continue to develop this program in Nigeria and is willing to make the commitment to do so. However, funding remains the limiting factor. We ask for your donations to make this possible in Nigeria and the other countries where ICHF serves.

After each mission, we receive literally hundreds of letters from parents asking us to return to treat their children which could not be operated on during this last mission.

Below are some photographs of the children which we cared for during this 84th mission to Nigeria.

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 [Main Mission 84 Page] [Main ICHF Page]
The International Children's Heart Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization based in Memphis, Tennessee. We are dedicated to helping children with congenital or acquired heart disease in developing countries throughout the world. We serve all children without respect to their race, religion or sex. Our primary goal is to make ourselves obsolete in the countries that we serve. To this end, we strive to educate the health care professionals in the countries we travel and bring them to the United States for advanced study so that they may better serve their own children.
Copyright 2004, International Children's Heart Foundation.   We appreciate your interest and support.  Questions, inquiries, or comments regarding  and/or are always welcome.  You may save the life of a child by clicking here.  The knowledge that you made such a significant difference in the life of a child, a family, and a community is priceless.