Two Feet & A Heartbeat Charity Walk

HeartKids’ annual charity walk Two Feet & A Heartbeat returns to Townsville in October to remember the children lost to Childhood-onset Heart Disease

Sydney, September 25 2024 – HeartKids, the only charity dedicated to supporting Australians impacted by congenital heart disease, is announcing details of its annual Two Feet & A Heartbeat walk, which will return to Townsville, on Sunday, October 13. Two Feet & A Heartbeat is a moment for impacted families, bereaved parents and the broader community to raise awareness of Childhood-onset Heart Disease (CoHD), one of the largest causes of infant death in Australia, and which more than 80,000 Australians currently live with.

Held annually since 2014, the event will take place in more than 30 locations across Australia during the month of October. In Queensland, walks are also organised in seven other locations. Participants will have a choice to walk 4 kilometres to pay tribute to the four lives lost to CoHD in Australia each week, or 8 kilometres in recognition of the eight babies born with CoHD each day. Everyone is welcomed to join in support of the HeartKids community, and to donate to registered participants, with all donations helping HeartKids to continue its mission to provide financial, psychological and practical support to Australian children and families living with CoHD.

The walk will start at the Riverway in Thuringowa Central, with all participants invited to arrive from 3pm for a 4pm start. It will be followed by family friendly activities, including free face painting, a barbecue and games. HeartKids encourages everyone to take part in the scenic walk, all while contributing to an important cause.

Zoe Corbett, mum to Heart Angel Jaxxon, will be among those walking for HeartKids in Sydney. Jaxxon was born on the 3rd of January 2022 with a complex heart condition, including a ventricular septal defect, Tetralogy of Fallot and a leaky pulmonary artery. He tragically succumbed to the disease on the 20th of June 2022.

“Throughout my journey, HeartKids provided crucial support, including financial assistance, emotional care and continues to help my family navigate through grief,” said Zoe Corbett. “Jaxxon had such a huge impact on our lives, and we can’t express how grateful we are that we get to meet all the other parents and share the day together. Few understand just what it’s like to go through this, but HeartKids have put in so much effort to ensure that we can all come together like this, and that Heart Angels like Jaxxon aren’t forgotten.”

HeartKids CEO Marcus Sandmann says that “Bereaved families need all the support we can give them, and HeartKids’ mission is to do what we can to ease the burden on families following the tragic loss of a child. A huge part of the support our Family Support Coordinators provide comes after hospital, when mourning and vulnerable families are often feeling lost.”

“Two Feet & A Heartbeat is a moment for those families to come together and honour the memory of their Heart Angel with people who understand what they have been through. We thank the incredible community in Townsville for their precious and continued involvement and solidarity over the years, and hope to bring more impacted families the support and comfort they need.”