Care Bag Program
Please help
Mended Little Hearts of Chicago's
Care Bag Program!
Families are connected to a caring support network and given educational materials
and comfort items to help them cope.
What do we include in our care bags and why? Watch our video and learn more!
Over 1,000 children a year will have cardiac surgery to repair a congenital heart defect at these hospitals.
Children treated at Advocate Children's Hospital-Oak Lawn & Park Ridge,
Lurie's Childrens Hospital of Chicago and
Rush Children's Hospital will benefit from our care bags.
We were so grateful for all the items we received in our care bag. At the same time we felt like we were not alone in our journey trough heart surgery.
-Tania O, Heart Mom to Sofia (ASD/VSD/Pulmonary Stenosis)
It brings me such joy to offer a care bag to families in need! The blessing of the contents makes a parents journey through the hospitalization of their tiny love easier.
To see parents smiles, and appreciation of the token of care warms my heart as a provider!!!
- Jennifer L Fitzer APN, Rush University Medical Center
Thank you to the Mended Little Hearts of Chicago for the care bag that was delivered to our family while my son was in surgery. It meant so much to our family
to know there were other families that cared and knew what we were going through.
- Angela L, Heart Mom to Giancarlo
PLEASE consider donating any of the items below, organizing your own drive
or make a tax-deductible donation to help purchase items for the care bags.
Your donation of any kind will help the local families who are part of the 40,000 new families each year
who are diagnosed with congenital heart defects. Care bags cost approximately $35 to assemble.
Items needed for care bags
(All items must be new for the health & safety of the child)
© Snacks (non-perishable, single serving)
© Travel-sized hand sanitizer
© Playing cards
© Card games (Uno, Go Fish, etc.)
© Small board games (Dominos, Checkers, etc)
© Suduko or crossword puzzle books
© Childrens books - all ages
© Colored pencils & sketch pads
© Blankets
© Small stuffed animals
© Travel-sized toiletries
For a list to print & take shopping, click HERE
Thank you for helping local heart families!
If you would like to contribute items, organize your own drive, make a donation
or have questions regarding our Care Bag Program, please contact:
Christine Olson Jenny Shirley
708.502.4443 630.697.7513
colson@mlhchicago.org jshirley@mlhchicago.org
Donations can also be sent to:
Mended Little Hearts of Chicago
P.O. Box #78
Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
**We are also currently seeking businesses to donate the needed items, if you know of any - please have them contact us. Thank you!**
Mended Little Hearts, a program of The Mended Hearts, Inc., is organized as a non-profit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3).
All monetary donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please check with your personal tax advisor regarding the deductibility of your gift.
