2022 Congenital Heart Walk coming to Houston Arboretum Sunday

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This weekend, all you have to do is lace up your walking shoes if you want to help children with congenital heart defects.

The Children's Heart Foundation is bringing their inaugural Congenital Heart Walk to Houston this Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.

The 1-mile walk includes refreshments, but in addition, there are also fun, family-friendly activities and special character appearances.

The walk aims to raise awareness and funds for children affected by CHDs. In the U.S. alone, CHDs are the most common birth defect among newborns, affecting 1 in 110 babies born.

"Every year, approximately 40,000 babies are born with a congenital heart defect," walk co-chair Rocio Rubio said. "That's about one in every 15 minutes, so on any given day, there's about 96 babies who will be born with a congenital heart defect."

CHDs are the leading cause of death in relation to birth defects, but The Children's Heart Foundation is working hard to lower this statistic and has raised over $15 million towards CHD research since its founding.

But without the support of communities like Houston, none of this would be possible.

The U.S. is home to nearly 3 million children and adults living with CHDs, and it is events like these that help provide the support they need.

"About 25% of babies born with a congenital heart defect will need a surgery or some form of intervention within their first year in order to survive," Rubio said.

For more information and to register your spot, visit childrensheartfoundation.org.

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is located at 4501 Woodway Dr., in Houston.