Enabling safe connection

HeartKids
Selfless. Courageous. Compassionate.

Jess Pianta has her hands full juggling work, family life and caring for a child with congenital heart disease. Still she finds time to help other families in the same position.

She’s a peer mentor with HeartKids, a charity that supports families and raises funds for research, and is always there to connect with families to let them know they are not alone.

She set a up a playgroup exclusively for children with congenital heart disease (CHD), who risk becoming seriously ill if they are exposed to bugs that healthy kids at regular playgroups brush off.

Thanks to Jess, CHD children get to socialise with other kids and grow their imagination in a safe environment.

To make sure as many families as possible can participate, Jess runs the free, monthly playgroup at a variety of carefully chosen venues and on different days of the week.

“Having their own specific playgroup gives parents of heart kids the ability to share their experiences and support each other while knowing their children are safe from common illnesses,” she says.

“All of this helps alleviate some of the anxiety that parents caring for a child with a chronic illness deal with every day.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. HeartKids will be able to increase the number of playgroups it runs and help more families.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here