Jason and Susan Smith from the Emerson Rose Heart Foundation to Speak at Feel the Beat 2014

Oct 2, 2014 | Suzanne Ferguson | @suzannerferguson

The Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for HLHS couldn’t be more excited to announce that Jason and Susan Smith from the Emerson Rose Heart Foundation will be guest speakers at Feel the Beat 2014 on Saturday, Nov. 8. in Rochester, Minnesota. They will be sharing their story of their daughter, Emerson Rose, and the difference they have made in congenital heart disease (CHD) awareness. You'll definitely want to meet Jason, Susan and their beautiful family at Feel the Beat. Don’t forget to register!

We joined the "heart world" a little over three years ago when our first child, Emerson Rose, was born with HLHS. She was beautiful and perfect in every way. She had the Norwood procedure at the Medical University of South Carolina at four days old and made it through surgery with flying colors. She was thriving and getting stronger each day until she passed away suddenly at two and a half months old. During our time in the hospital with Emerson Rose, we saw families in financial and spiritual need and we wanted to do something to help. We also learned from the doctors and surgeon of the great need to further CHD research. Through our great pain and our faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, we formed the Emerson Rose Heart Foundation (ERHF). The goal of the ERHF is to make a difference by giving hope to babies, support to parents and spreading HLHS awareness to all. Now in its third year, the ERHF has been blessed to serve over 1,000 families and has been saving lives at home and abroad. We now have two other children - Rowan Sarah (two years old) and Campbell Jane (one and a half years old). --Jason and Susan Smith Emerson Rose

Jason, Susan, Rowan Sarah and Campbell Jane

The Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a collaborative network of specialists bonded by the vision of delaying or preventing heart failure for individuals affected by congenital heart defects including HLHS. The specialized team is addressing the various aspects of these defects by using research and clinical strategies ranging from basic science, to diagnostic imaging to regenerative therapies.