The Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) came together last week, to organise a special activity day for the children and families supported by CHSF.
Children’s Heart Surgery Fund’s mission is to “support hearts for life” by supporting the world-class Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, the thousands of patients from across our region living with congenital heart disease who are treated there, and their families. CHSF do this by providing funding and resources needed to care for a patient’s heart, mind, family and future.
The primary aim of this event was to keep the children active whilst providing valuable knowledge about small exercises they can practice at home to maintain a healthier heart, especially for those who have undergone open heart surgery. This was also an opportunity for the families to connect with others experiencing similar situations.
Throughout the activity day, both organisations emphasised the importance of leading an active lifestyle to promote heart health. The exercises taught were not only beneficial for the children’s physical well-being, but also contributed to their mental resilience.
Various activity stations were set up to cater to the diverse abilities of the children, and included rugby skill drills, dancing, football, and much more.
We were honoured to be joined by Leeds Rhinos first team player, Zane Tetevano, who has recently undergone his own operation earlier this year. Zane recently visited the Children’s Heart Ward at Leeds Children’s Hospital, to offer his support and goodwill to the parents and families of those with congenital heart disease.
The Foundation were honoured to be a part of this day and we hope that this is something that can be repeated on an annual basis to bring even more families together for this amazing event!
For more information on the work of Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, CLICK HERE.