Gus BilirakisVerified account

Thank You

Please now do something meaningful on gun control.

I have CHD & have a wonderful life. Thanks to research, more adults are now living with CHD than children and more children are reaching adulthood! Research helps us better understand CHD so we can develop life-changing interventions & one day, a cure. Thank you @RepGusBilirakis!

For starters, the St. Jude mechanical valve was developed over 30 years ago and the procedure I had to replace my valve in 1992 was developed in 1986. Thanks to the research that went in to their development, I am here to tell my story today!

Research provides the means to develop new and lifesaving devices and treatments for cardiac surgeries so that they can be sent to clinical trials for FDA approval. Research also help us to better understand CHD across the lifespan so we can develop appropriate interventions.

There have been many advancements since then that you can look up via Google scholar and medical journals. Some valve replacements now no longer require surgery and can be done via cardiac cath. Around 90% of patients are now reaching adulthood thanks to medical advancements.

Despite these advancements, however, research funding specifically for CHD remains remarkably low compared to other public health conditions with less prevalence in and impact on our community.