Families share experiences with heart defects ahead of 2023 Chicago Congenital Heart Walk

CHICAGO (WLS) — The 2023 Chicago Congenital Heart Walk is coming up on June 10.

The event raises money for The Children’s Heart Foundation, which invests in research to diagnosis, treat and prevent congenital heart defects.

Lindsay Menze’s daughter Alice was born with a congenital heart defect last year.

“She had to undergo surgery at just nineteen days old and unfortunately, while the surgery was a success, she had a number of complications following it and she passed away when she was just forty days old,” said Menze.

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After her daughter’s death, Menze found purpose through the walk.

“While we miss Alice terribly, our great hope is that the world will be a better place because Alice was in it,” said Menze.

Allison Blomeke’s son Isaac was born with a heart defect. Now he’s a happy two-year-old.

“Isaac was in a clinical trial where he may or may not have received stem cells during his second open-heart surgery so we’re pretty excited about that,” said Blomeke.

You can sign up for the walk here.