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To the Editor:

This year’s CT Walk for 1 in 100 for congenital heart disease was a truly remarkable event. Serving as Chair for the fifth consecutive year, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible growth and spirit of our community. This year, we welcomed over 350 walkers – an astonishing increase from last year’s 280 walkers and together CT raised over $53,000 to support Adult Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).

This commitment signifies a commitment to our cause but also reflects a shared concern for the well-being of patients, families, and the dedicated medical community that cares for those living with CHD. This walk is more than just an event; it is a lifeline for essential programs that make a real difference. Thank you to the sponsors that made it possible Hartford Health Care, CT Children’s Medical Center, Yale Hospital, The Goodwin Group at Merrill Lynch, Insperity, Single Ventricle Source. A special thanks to Fitness with Jonathan of West Hartford, and Guglietti’s Hair Salon and Suites of Rocky Hill for making the walk so much more than a walk. Most especially, the Town of West Hartford that allows the walk to take place on the Town Hall’s front lawn the past four years.

The encouragement and solidarity that this event fosters reminds me daily that none of us are alone on this path. CHD is the number 1 birth defect affecting one of every 100 births.  If you know someone with CHD, please have them find ACHA on the web at www.achaheart.org.

Anne Reilly
ACHA Board Member and CT Walk Chairperson