About Us

The Jack of Hearts Foundation is a national organization founded in 2007 by Steve and Tracey Bryan, parents of Jack, who has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The purpose of the Foundation is to raise money to fund scientific and clinical research. It is our mission to increase the survival rate of children undergoing cardiac surgery and to extend the life expectancies of children born with "single ventricle defects," such as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome.

Children born with these conditions twenty years ago died just days after birth. Now, thanks to new surgical procedures developed through extensive clinical research by scientists, cardiologists and surgeons, these children have a chance at life. But this picture is not all rosy. Surgery is not a cure, and many children with single ventricle defects continue to die from complications arising from their underlying conditions or as a consequence of surgery. Moreover, even for children who have survived all of the surgeries and are doing well, the long term prognosis is uncertain, as the oldest surviving children are now just teenagers. In summary, more research and studies are imperative in order to improve existing surgical techniques, develop new procedures, and ultimately find a cure for this devastating birth defect.

We believe that research is the key to "helping hearts grow." Your involvement in this mission is crucial and will benefit not only the hearts of children with these devastating defects - but your heart as well.