'Every heartbeat matters’: Special needs children at centre of World Heart Day

Heart Heroes Fiji is focusing on special needs children for World Heart Day this year, recognising them as among the most vulnerable groups for rheumatic heart disease.

The organisation will mark World Heart Day next Monday at Frank Hilton Special School in Suva, where screening will be conducted for students who are often overlooked in regular health programmes.

Heart Heroes Fiji founder Erini Tokarua said special needs children face unique challenges in identifying and communicating symptoms.

"This year we're targeting other special kids because they're the most vulnerable as well. And we tend to forget them," Ms Tokarua said.

"Sometimes they are unable to tell us the symptoms that they're having or be able to identify symptoms, making sure that we don't miss those vulnerable children because their heartbeat too matters."

The event aligns with this year's World Heart Day theme "Don't miss a beat," emphasising the importance of early detection and treatment.

Ms Tokarua said the theme personally resonates with her organisation's mission.

"For me it just means that every child matters. Making sure that we don't miss those vulnerable children that we don't miss because their heartbeat too matters," she said.

Heart Heroes Fiji is also launching a 50-kilometre fundraising walk challenge starting next Monday, aiming to reach 10,000 people with awareness about rheumatic heart disease.

The organisation, established in 2022, provides support to families affected by rheumatic heart disease by bridging communication gaps between medical professionals and patients.

"When somebody's diagnosed, the language that is used from clinicians to patients, there's not much understanding there. So what we do is we break down that information in simple terms," Ms Tokarua said.

Statistics show 60 to 70 young people die from the preventable condition annually in Fiji.