Georgia Claire Bowen Foundation Announces The Addition Of $200k To The $1 Million Dollar Grant To Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center

BOSTON, Jan. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Claire Bowen Foundation announced today the addition of $200 thousand to the original $1 million dollar grant given last year to the Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center.

The grant will expand the Georgia Claire Bowen IMPACT (Imagining More Possibilities in Advanced Cardiac Therapies) Initiative at Boston Children's Hospital to support cutting-edge pediatric cardiac research and care.

The latest initiative focuses on reducing post-transplant complications in young heart patients, improving quality of life, and working towards heart transplant becoming a cure for patients, instead of just a gift of time. One important part of the on-going initiative will be using the latest technology that will allow parents to communicate with their medical teams from home, giving peace of mind and allowing parents to avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room- especially important in these COVID times. 

"We are so grateful to the Bowen family for this grant," said Kevin P. Daly, MD, an attending cardiologist at Boston Children's Hospital. "This grant will support an innovative research program that will change how we care for children after heart transplant.  We thank the Bowen family for their philanthropy as we strive to improve the lives of young heart transplant patients. "

The foundation is named after Georgia Claire Bowen, who was born in cardiac arrest in 2018. In an attempt to save her life, doctors at Boston Children's Hospital tried something that had never been done before on any human, especially a newborn, after a heart attack. The doctors took mitochondria from Georgia's neck and infused it into the injured muscle of her heart. The procedure was followed by the placement of the Berlin artificial heart until a living heart was available for transplant.

Funding for the foundation comes from GCB Medical Supply, a company founded by Georgia's mom Kate Bowen. After spending months in the hospital with Georgia, and seeing first-hand how ill-fitting hospital gowns for pediatric patients were inconvenient for patients, doctors and nurses, Kate founded GCB Medical Supply and created the Georgie, a pediatric onesie made to accommodate tubes and machines that is now worn by babies in hospitals across the country. GCB Medical Supply also provides personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers and COVID testing to communities across the country.

"After establishing the Georgia Claire Bowen Foundation, the positive feedback has been incredible. From the parents of heart transplant patients, we have heard that this initiative is giving them strength, hope and support. From the doctors, we have heard that this research can and will change lives and improve the care for the youngest heart transplant patients," said Kate Bowen, President of the Georgia Claire Bowen Foundation and Georgia's mom. "Through this grant with Boston Children's Hospital, we hope to revolutionize pediatric cardiac research for babies like Georgia and so many more."

Learn more about Georgia: read her story in the New York Times and watch her story here.

SOURCE GCB Medical Supply

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