Wir überwinden Grenzen

The "Kinderherzen retten" association once again receives 350,000 euros from Porsche from the "Racing for Charity" campaign / This will enable vital heart operations for children / "Kinderherzen retten" already received a generous donation last year

The Freiburg-based association "Kinderherzen retten" (Save Children's Hearts) receives 350,000 euros from Porsche AG to help children with serious heart defects. The donation was symbolically handed over as part of the "Racing for Charity" campaign at the 24-hour race in Le Mans, France. Saving Children's Hearts enables children from all over the world to undergo life-saving heart surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. The association was already able to help twelve young people from El Salvador, Syria, Albania and Afghanistan in 2023 with a donation of the same amount from Porsche: They were successfully operated on at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and have returned healthy with their families to their respective home countries.

"We are very happy and grateful that Kinderherzen retten e.V. received such a large donation from "Racing for Charity" again this year. Above all, it's great for the children!" says Prof. em. Dr. Friedhelm Beyersdorf, former Medical Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and co-founder of the association Kinderherzen retten. "The donation will enable us to provide heart surgery treatment at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg for children who would otherwise have had little chance of survival and give them a healthy life," says Beyersdorf.

Kinderherzen retten e.V.

Kinderherzen retten e. V. was founded in 2002 under the direction of Beyersdorf and is closely linked to the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. The association specializes in the treatment of children with congenital heart defects, which is often not possible in the children's home countries. At the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, however, such procedures are routine and are performed by specially trained pediatric cardiac surgeons under the direction of Prof. h.c. Dr. Johannes Kroll, Head of the Pediatric Heart Surgery Section of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, and pediatric cardiologists under the direction of Prof. Dr. Brigitte Stiller, Medical Director of the Department of Congenital Heart Defects and Pediatric Cardiology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

In addition to selecting and treating the young patients, Kinderherzen retten also organizes the entire transport and stay in Freiburg. The association relies on support from donations in all areas. To date, the association has already helped more than 250 children with heart disease to lead healthy lives, for example from Central America and other countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Iraq.

Caption (from left to right): Prof. em. Dr. Friedhelm Beyersdorf and Prof. h.c. Dr. Johannes Kroll are delighted with Mark Webber (Porsche) and the representatives of the other sponsored projects

Image source: Porsche AG