The Team Nolan Heart Warriors & Angels beach walk will mark its fifth anniversary this Sunday with its annual 2-kilometre trek along Seven Mile Public Beach.
The event, which starts at 7am, will culminate at the end of Congenital Heart Defects awareness week, which is celebrated 7-14 Feb. annually.
Ailian Evans, Cayman Heart Fund board director and founder of Team Nolan, reflecting on the impending milestone, said it would not be possible with “our amazing sponsors, our community, our family, and friends” as she expressed gratitude for the continued support over the years.
“As a heart family, it’s so rewarding to see that with our efforts and fundraising initiatives in loving memory of our heart angel, we are helping others in need. I know Nolan is proud of the legacy that we are creating,” she told the Cayman Compass in a recent interview.
The event was started in memory of Evans’ heart hero son Nolan, who passed away on 25 Jan. 2018 at 7 months old from complications of congenital heart disease.
Evans said Team Nolan, the paediatric programme of the Cayman Heart Fund, remains 100% committed to raising awareness about congenital heart defects (CHD).
“Every 15 minutes a baby is born with a CHD. Many people think of heart problems as conditions that only affect adults, but the fact is that one out of every 100 babies are born with a CHD. That makes congenital heart defects the most common type of birth defect,” she said.
She explained that congenital heart defects occur during the early stages of a mother’s pregnancy, when the baby’s heart is forming. Conditions classified as congenital heart defects include abnormalities in the heart’s structure or the heart’s electrical system.
“Every child born with a complex structural heart malformation has a story. It is a journey through a whole host of difficult challenges. They endure far more than most in their few short years than many adults will in a lifetime.
“When you consider how much adversity some overcome and still have a smile on their face, it is clear that each of them has earned their superhero designation; hence the name Heart Warrior or Heart Angel,” Evans added.
The walk raises awareness as well as funds. Registration fees are used to financially assist local families with CHD babies, which can include covering costs such as medical expenses, utilities, food and transportation
Those wishing to participate in the walk can register by downloading the form at www.caymanheartfund.ky or by emailing [email protected]. Registration is $25 and includes an event T-shirt (while supplies last).
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