How blue paint is helping save babies with heart defects
How blue paint is helping save babies with heart defects
Archway Gallery in Montrose is hosting local artist Catherine Rodgers' "Heartstrings" exhibit through October 1.
HOUSTON - Archway Gallery in Montrose is featuring a new exhibit titled "Heartstrings" by Houston artist and former nurse Catherine Rodgers.
A portion of sales from the artwork and prints sold online will directly support HeartGift Houston to fund surgical procedures for children born with congenital heart defects.
Rodgers' inspiration
The backstory:
Before Rodgers was born, her parents lost her nearly-three-year-old sister Laura to a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot.
Encouraged by her family to pursue a career in nursing, Rodgers gained a deep clinical understanding of the emotional and physical journey families experience when seeking medical care for their children.
She chose to channel her family's loss into healing by tagging HeartGift Foundation as her featured charity, using shades like Indanthrone blue to spotlight "blue babies" born with heart conditions.
What they're saying:
"My parents encouraged me to become a nurse, so I have a great background and a huge understanding of what these families are going through when they bring their children to the United States to have (this type of heart) surgery, and I love that I could spotlight HeartGift with this exhibit, hoping it serves as a celebration of Laura because so many children are alive today because doctors learned from her," says Catherine Rodgers.
"For someone to take a family tragedy and to want to give back so that others don't have to feel the same pain is just incredible, and these funds will help us save lives because HeartGift provides life-saving heart surgeries to children born with congenital heart defects from around the world," says Janna Altmann, Executive Director of HeartGift.
Why you should care:
Congenital heart defects affect one out of every 100 babies born each year worldwide, yet only 10% of those children have access to the specialized care needed to survive.
HeartGift was originally founded in 2000 by Dr. Chip Oswald and Ray Wilkerson during a trip to the Amazon. Since then, HeartGift has worked to bridge this gap across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Funds are raised to bring those babies to Houston for life-saving surgery.
How to attend the exhibit
What you can do:
You can attend the "Heartstrings" exhibit at Archway Gallery in Montrose or purchase artwork and prints to directly benefit children in need of surgical care.
The "Heartstrings" exhibit runs now through Oct. 1, with an official opening reception scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and an artist talk at 6:30 p.m.
Dig deeper:
Learn more about the exhibit and the foundation's global mission by visiting HeartGift or https://www.archwaygallery.com
The Source: FOX 26's Anchor/Medical Reporter Melissa Wilson interviewed Catherine Rodgers and Janna Altmann to gather information for this story.