´óÏó´«Ã½

The Somerville Foundation is a UK based charity that helps adults and young people who were born with heart defects. Whether they need mental health support, counselling, financial advice, advocacy, information or simply someone to talk to, the charity is there for them every step of the way.

For information about The Somerville Foundation and the work it carries out, please visit: Ìý

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth defects in the world. In the UK alone, almost 1 in a hundred babies are born every year with serious heart problems.

Izzy, whose story you hear in Roger Black’s appeal, was 18 when she discovered she had been born with a serious heart problem. Izzy said the anxiety was like being on a rollercoaster ride ‘you can never get off.‘

The Somerville Foundation runs a free confidential helpline, facilitates peer support networks and runs ‘meet-ups’ to help reduce patient isolation and build supportive relationships. It looks after both the physical and the emotional wellbeing of people with congenital heart defects.