In Conversation With Nhlamulo Tlakula Sesing - founder of Grateful Hearts Foundation

The Grateful Hearts Foundation has renewed its call for public support during Heart Month, highlighting the urgent need to improve care for children born with Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) in South Africa. The Foundation draws inspiration from former President Nelson Mandela’s 1995 call for collective responsibility in caring for the nation’s children, emphasising that child wellbeing is both a moral and national imperative.
CHDs remain one of the leading causes of preventable child mortality, with hundreds of children admitted to major hospitals each year. Many do not receive timely or adequate treatment due to systemic challenges, including a shortage of trained paediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, limited surgical facilities, and constrained post-operative care resources.