At the Heart Center, our teams provide expert care for each child while supporting the whole family. Our supportive services and programs include:
- Beads of Courage: This program helps children tell their stories through colorful beads that serve as meaningful symbols of hope and courage throughout their treatment journey. Each bead represents a milestone achieved while coping with a serious illness.
- Camp Rhythm: A five-day, four-night summer camp experience for children ages 8–17 with congenital or acquired heart conditions. A day camp option is also available for children ages 5–7.
- Family Partner Program: Our Family Partner Program provides mentorship and peer support for inpatient families. All Family Partners are parents or caregivers of children who have received care at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
- Heart Strings: We provide bereavement and grief resources for families who have experienced the loss of a child. Services include memory-making opportunities, aftercare follow-up, and a remembrance celebration.
- Perinatal Behavioral Health Service: From pregnancy through your child's second birthday, we offer mental health and well-being support for families navigating life with a child who has a chronic heart condition.
- Winter and Summer Family Dinners: Each year, we host winter and summer dinners for patients and families featuring seasonal crafts and a catered meal to bring joy during a hospital stay.
- Heart for Reading Program: This innovative program supports patients’ neurodevelopment while creating a safe, comforting environment for healing.
- Congenital Heart Defect Support Resources
