Giving Hearts a Hand was awarded a $2500 grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation and a $500 "small project grant" from the Ripley County Community Foundation to help provide cardiac screenings to area high school student/athletes.  The JCCF grant was made possible by the “Unrestricted Community Impact Fund," and will be utilized to provide cardiac screenings to Johnson County high school athletes.  The RCCF grant will be utilized to implement the cardiac screening program at South Ripley High School in the spring of 2013.  We are excited about the opportunity to offer screenings to more kids, even faster than we had planned.  The Johnson Community Foundation and Ripley County Community Foundation, as well as many generous individuals continue to help us meet our mission’s objectives!  Thank You!

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"It is with genuine enthusiasm that I congratulate Doug and Cortney Meyer in the formation of their non-for-profit organization, Giving Hearts a Hand.  Particularly when schools across our state continue to face difficult financial times, this organization reaches out in a special way to provide opportunities for Indiana youngsters to receive heart screenings.  Traumatic cardiac events continue to occur within our younger populations and Giving Hearts a Hand is exhibiting servant leadership to students in our state.  I am proud to offer my support to Giving Hearts a Hand."

Bobby Cox, Commissioner
Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.

"A non-profit organization like Giving Hearts a Hand helps to provide an invaluable service to those where access to cardiac screenings may not be readily available. As an athletic trainer that works mainly with youth sports, I know the importance of adolescent aged children receiving echocardiograms. I have personally seen the on-field tragedies that can occur as a result of unknown heart defects and I urge all young athletes to undergo cardiac screenings."

Shelby Howard, M.Ed, LAT/ATC
Broad Ripple High School Athletic Trainer

"Cardiac ultrasound(echo) remains the gold standard for evaluation of structured heart disease.  Safe, reproducible and accurate, echo is the perfect tool for both screening and disease management."

David Kovacich, M.D., FACC
St. Francis Health

"HCM screening and diagnosis is a challenge but still remains the #1 killer among young individuals.  I am pleased that Giving Hearts a Hand will provide funding for cardiac screenings in high school athletes and raise the overall awareness of life-threatening heart conditions."

Dr. Jothiharan "Jo" Mahenthiran, Cardiovascular Disease
Community Heart and Vascular

We recently did an interview with Jake Query from the "Query & Schultz" show that airs on M-F during the afternoons on WNDE 1260.  The interview was part of a program that Clear Channel does called "Now Hear This." First, we would like to thank Clear Channel and especially Jake Query for his hospitality in offering to do this for Giving Hearts a Hand.  We hope that the interview was heard by many that were unaware of the organization, or unaware of the problem of undetected heart conditions in youth.  We also did a short PSA about the organization to spread awareness.

*Click the links to listen!