Corazón y Vida, the Andalusian association supporting families affected by congenital heart disease

When Natalia was born, many things were suddenly turned upside down: plans, fears, nights in the hospital. Her story is the reason for this project and this charity plush toy. There is a very specific reason for choosing who to help: the Corazón y Vida Association. We want you to know what this entity is and, above all, what it does every day for families who are going through the same thing our family went through.

What is Corazón y Vida?

Corazón y Vida is a non-profit association that operates throughout Andalusia, made up of people directly or indirectly affected by congenital heart disease: fathers, mothers, patients and professionals. It was founded in 1993 and was the first association for congenital heart disease registered in Spain, born from a group of parents who decided to unite to share experiences and gradually improve the quality of life of their children and their families.

More than 30 years later, it continues to be a reference entity for the collective, recognized as a public utility entity and with offices in Seville and Cordoba.

Its work consists of responding to the real needs of people with congenital heart disease and their families, at all stages of life: from diagnosis (often prenatal), through hospital admissions, to adult life with chronic heart disease.

All this is accompanied by a constant objective: to inform and raise awareness in society about a reality that, although it affects a significant number of newborns each year, remains largely unknown.

What services does Corazón y Vida offer?

Behind Corazón y Vida there is a multidisciplinary technical team and volunteers who support, among others, these services:

• Free accommodation for families who have to travel to Seville or Cordoba for their children to be operated on or checked, thus avoiding the added financial burden of a long hospital transfer.
• Psychological support, both in Seville and Cordoba, to help manage the emotional impact of diagnosis, admissions and daily life with congenital heart disease.
• Information and advice to families at the time of diagnosis and throughout the subsequent medical and social process.
• Hospital accompaniment, so that no family feels alone in the toughest moments, within the hospital itself.
• Defense of the collective's interests, giving a voice to affected people before institutions and society.

Corazón y Vida collaborates with reference hospitals, such as the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (Seville) and the Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía (Cordoba). It also has the support of the Junta de Andalucía and numerous collaborating entities, companies and initiatives, whose support is fundamental for the association to continue offering its services and accompanying families.

Why we support Corazón y Vida

Natalia was born with congenital heart disease, and although her story ended in the hardest possible way, we decided to turn the pain into a gesture of solidarity: to create a plush toy whose sale helps other families who are experiencing what we experienced.

Part of the proceeds from each plush toy is directly allocated to support the work of Corazón y Vida, accommodation, accompaniment, psychological care, and another part is dedicated to donating plush toys to hospitals, so that other admitted children have, at least, a small room companion in difficult moments.

If you want to know more about the Corazón y Vida Association, resolve doubts about congenital heart disease or know how to collaborate with them, you can visit their website by clicking on this link.

For us, Corazón y Vida was much more than an association. It was support, understanding and companionship when we needed it most. That is why today we want to return a small part of all that we received, helping other families find that same help in the most difficult moments.

Because there are stories that never end, they just find a new way to continue. Cookie Mouse is Natalia's legacy. A project born to continue caring for other children and their families through Corazón y Vida.