Since 1990, we have embraced every little heart that is fighting its own battle for life.
The “Children’s Hearts” Association was founded in Thessaloniki in 1990, by parents of children with congenital heart diseases, with the aim of informing, helping and supporting materially, morally and psychologically parents, children and adults from Northern Greece who suffer from congenital heart diseases.
It was created with love, sensitivity and a deep belief that every child deserves care, a smile and hope.
Our goal is to support children and families facing difficulties, offering practical help, psychological support and social solidarity. That is why since 1990 we have been acting with consistency and transparency, standing by every heart that fights its own battle.
The Association’s main purpose is to support and improve the quality of life of patients with congenital heart disease, as well as their families.
A Congenital Heart Disease Medical Center in Northern Greece
The Association's vision from day one. We collaborate with pediatric cardiologists and cardiologists specializing in congenital heart diseases, so that Thessaloniki can have a medical center that will cover cases from all of Northern Greece.
in public hospitals in Northern Greece, according to the needs of doctors.
active since 2020, with regular blood donations to cover the units required for surgeries.
about congenital heart diseases and the importance of early diagnosis.
to financially support children who need support or surgery.
volunteerism and social contribution.
We created and fully equipped two medical laboratories, contributed to the creation of a third and donated medical equipment to a pediatric cardiology clinic, to public hospitals in our city that serve cases throughout Northern Greece and beyond — to the G. Papanikolaou Hospital and the AHEPA General Hospital.
Today, the number of adult patients with congenital heart disease in Northern Greece is large and growing. They are now served exclusively by the AHEPA clinic, which we have equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, as the clinic at G. Papanikolaou Hospital remains closed.
The AHEPA clinic operates with the responsible professor of cardiology, Mr. George Giannakoulas, and the assistance of cardiologist Mr. Athanasios Koutsakis, whose scholarship we have been covering since 2020 with the support of our sponsors. The needs of the patients, however, are not covered.
Before the creation of every Association lies the struggle of some people to find solutions to help themselves with their particular problem. That’s how I started… years ago.
In 1973, my daughter Nektaria was born with a very serious heart problem. That’s when my own struggle began.
My child was monitored by cardiologists since there were no pediatric cardiologists in Northern Greece yet, even the diagnosis was made abroad, because there were neither the means nor the knowledge to make a diagnosis, I also had to manage my insurance provider to justify the transfer of my child abroad, the operation was not performed here.
All this and much more was the stimulus with the encouragement of the professor – pediatric cardiologist Mr. Georgios Varlamis in 1990 to establish the first statute of the Northern Greece Association “Children’s Hearts”.
Unfortunately, in 1993, the fatal thing happened and my angel left me. Because of this tragic event, the Association became inactive.
The first desire of Nektaria – my angel, was to help children with Congenital Heart Diseases, these little vulnerable hearts, the encouragement of my family as well as other parents who came into contact with me, who faced the same dead-end situations, gave me the strength in 1999 to reactivate the Association.
The Association of Northern Greece for People with Congenital Heart Diseases “Children’s Hearts” is not a job for me..
It is a work of love, ministry and offering to our children.
I will always be by your side
Chrysoula Tsikritsidou
Founder of the Association of Northern Greece for People with Congenital Heart Diseases “Children’s Hearts”
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