Mission

Founded in 2005, Heartbeat - La Chaîne de l’Espoir is a
Lebanese humanitarian association with the mission to
treat children born with heart disease.

THE FACTS

CHD are anomalies of the heart present at birth. It is the most common birth defect affecting 1% of newborns, and the leading cause of infant death.

  • Heart disease are among the most frequent malformations at birth. They occur in 1 out of 100 newborns and are the first cause of death before the age of 1 year.
  • If treated, 95% of the babies survive, and go on to lead a normal life.
  • 600 babies are born each year in Lebanon with heart disease and might not see their 1st birthday.

facts & figures

THE PROBLEM

All children do not have access to the same standards of care because of social inequalities. Some underprivileged children are condemned to die due to lack of funds. Third party payers require a substantial contribution from families.



HEARTBEAT INTERVENTION

Heartbeat covers all related treatment costs from the moment the child comes under its care. This includes diagnosis of the condition, treatment and follow-up.

Heartbeat collaborates with dedicated specialists at Hotel-Dieu de France hospital in Lebanon to offer a full range of treatment through the highest level of surgical and medical expertise.

HOW IT STARTED

Medical doctors at Hotel-Dieu de France approached La Chaîne de l’Espoir (The Chain of Hope). This large network of international associations has offices in several capitals in Europe and America. Each association works independently but all are united by their values and one single mission: To work continuously so that the chain of life doesn’t stop.

“Heartbeat – La Chaine de l’Espoir” was officially recognized as a non-profit association in Lebanon on April 19 2005, under permit N° 118/AD issued by decree of the Minister of Interior Affairs, N° 14323.

VISION

No child should die of heart disease because of a lack of funds. Become the regional reference for children with heart disease.

VALUES

Equality

Treat children regardless of their gender, age, race, religion, region

Respect

Operate based on members’ trust in each other capabilities and beliefs

Transparency

in the way we operate

HOW IT WORKS

  • Our pediatric cardiologist and surgeon review each case and decide on the feasibility of a medical intervention.
  • Our social worker looks into the financial status of the family and its medical coverage to decide on the amount of financial aid the family needs. In severe cases, we cover all of the operation’s expenses that the family is otherwise supposed to pay.

WHY IT WORKS

Heartbeat strives to operate at the lowest cost at all levels, with complete transparency

  • Our efficient operations lead to reduced hospital stays at Hotel-Dieu de France to the children treated
  • Our team of volunteers manages Heartbeat’s communication, marketing, and partnership development for free
  • Our local offices are available to us free of charge

ACHIEVEMENTS

We began our activity on November 1, 2005 with the treatment of 3 children. Since then, we have treated over 2,800 children born with heart disease, helping on average 300 families every year. All types of medical procedures have been performed, including open-heart surgery for complex malformations, and state of the art cardiac catheterization.


annual reports