Being born with a congenital heart defect effectively marks sufferers as second-class citizens in Malta, precluding them from obtaining reasonable loans, life insurance and health insurance… regardless of whether they are a child or an adult.

Speaking to Lovin Malta, Professor Victor Grech from Beating Hearts Malta explained that a congenital heart defect (CHD) is a defect in the structure of the heart and great vessels which is mostly present at birth.

Going into further detail about the issue, Grech said it’s currently unknown why some children are born with heart defects.

It is not a hereditary disease. However, it does occur slightly more frequently in certain families.

As it stands, 1% of all children are born with some kind of heart problem. On a local scale, it’s an average of 150 cases, with a rate of roughly 3.5% of all babies born with a CHD each year.

Many types of heart defects exist, most of which either obstruct blood flow in the heart or vessels near it or cause blood to flow through the heart in an abnormal pattern.

Most cases are minor, but some to require urgent intervention, with roughly 20 to 25 children having open-heart surgery in London annually, with a further 5 to 10 undergoing interventions in Malta.

Minor conditions often able to get insured, but those suffering from severe conditions are given a hefty premium, while those with even more complex conditions are simply not insurable.

It remains to be seen how the government intends to tackle the issue effectively; however, there are plans in the pipeline to do so.

That’s where Beating Hearts Malta (BHM) steps in.

Founded in December 2011 after recognising the lack of a basic support group in the country, BHM provides a platform for Maltese families to share their personal experiences while also providing valuable advice on how to deal with a condition.

Fundraising is a crucial aspect of BHM’s work. Most of the funds raised are used for the purchase or co-funding of new and more sophisticated equipment for the Cardiology Department at Mater Dei Hospital.

Grech, who beyond working in paediatric cardiology, is also an artist, photographer, science fiction expert, and martial arts enthusiast, using his many skills to raise funds for the foundation.

Their most recent fundraising project is a series of photography exhibitions,  themed “A Tale of Two Cities” and will compare, for example, Valletta with Manhattan, and Manchester (as a canal city) with Malta’s Grand Harbour area.

BHM has so far purchased a refurbished echocardiography machine (€50,000), co-funded a new foetal echo probe (€8,000) and a cardiopulmonary exercise testing machine (€35,000) and more recently placed an order for a refurbished portable echocardiography Machine (€30,000).

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