2008 Humanitarian Award Recipient Dr. Gregory Fontana with CKHH Co-Founders Debbie, Neil and Jacob Sipos

Thousand Oaks Mayor Jacqui Irwin with CKHH Founder Jacob Sipos

Dr. Gregory P. Fontana was among those honored at the Cardiac Kids Have H.E.A.R.T. Foundations Annual Gala Awards Night as the recipient of the organizations prestigious Humanitarian Award. Cardiac Kids Have H.E.A.R.T. (CKHH), is a Thousand Oaks based, national 501c.3 non-profit organization, dedicated to Helping Educate, Assist, Research and Treat children and adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

Dr. Fontana became the 4th Annual Recipient of The Cardiac Kids Have H.E.A.R.T. Foundation Humanitarian Award for his dedication to healing the hearts of children around the world. Dr. Gregory Fontana is the Vice Chairman of Surgery for Pediatric Surgical Services and the Director of the Childrens International Surgical Fund at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, whos leadership is responsible for the facilitation of lifesaving heart procedures on children from around the world who suffer with varying forms of Congenital Heart Disease, (CHD). Also among those honored for their outstanding contributions in the cardiac community were; Hearts of Gold recipients Bill Klinedinst, (Profusionist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles), Dr. Alan Tong, (Pediatric Cardiologist), Robyn Gibson, (President of Mending Kids International), Genevieve Lundberg, (MFC), Mimi Ermolovich of Thousand Oaks, CA and Phil and Mary McPherson. (Founders of the Amanda McPherson Foundation in Simi Valley, CA.

Thousand Oaks Mayor and President of the Thousand Oaks Titans Youth Football League, Jacqui Irwin was also on hand to receive recognition for the Titan Organizations partnership in the implementation of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) in their league through the Cardiac Kids Have H.E.A.R.T. Defibrillator Grant Program. Calabasas Councilman Dennis Washburn and representative of the Conejo Las Virgines Future Foundation were also in attendance. The event raised $25,000 towards the CKHH Defibrillator Grant and International Congenital Heart Disease Programs.

Cardiac Kids Have H.E.A.R.T. Foundation stemmed from the vision of 13 year old Jacob Sipos, (a cardiac child that survived four heart surgeries by the age of four), who became committed to saving the lives of other cardiac kids through his own experiences. CKHH has been involved in the battle against CHD on both a national and international levels, broadening awareness of Congenital Heart Disease through a variety of programs. One out of every 125 children is born with a cardiac defect making CHD the most common birth defect worldwide.

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