Welcome to the home for Second Chance Heart Transplant Support Group, Inc. (that’s where the site name: “SCHTSGI” comes from, using the first letter of each word in that corporate name…)
We are a local heart transplant support group of heart transplant recipients in the general area of the region known as the Delaware Valley. While our 800+ members have spread far and wide, most come from the Philadelphia centered area that includes Delaware, Southern New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Anticipating your question, yes, you have to have had a heart transplant – or be married to one who has – to become a member, so there really are that many recipients in this local area, and oh so many more! That large number is mainly due to the fact that there are so many heart transplant programs in this area – eight if you count CHOP, Hershey and DuPont (in DE).
Read more about our organization in the ABOUT page on this site, both our long history (dating back to the mid 1980′s, the “dawn” of today’s successful heart transplant surgical process ) and our mission of support and financial aid to member patients in need. To date here in 2009, Second Chance has given out over $500,000 in patient grants over those years.
So read all about us here, and consider joining to add your own support to this very unique group who truly are giving from their hearts and are “heart gifted” owing their lives to a donor family’s gift and the modern miracle of heart transplantation in the hands of amazing medical professionals in those many centers.
New additions to check out on our web site:
- Celebration of Life 2012 appeal letter now posted on that event page
- Hahnemann Holiday Party 2011 photos now available (<– click here)
- Next general board meeting will be on Monday, January 23rd at 6:30pm at Gift of Life Donor Program offices at 401 North 3rd St, Phila PA 19123. RSVP to Dick Harbourt required. raharbourt@aol.com or 609-799-1498
- 25th Anniversary Celebration of Life 2012 Dinner: Dinner Flyer (<– click here to download PDF flyer)
- slideshow of the 2011 Ruth Miller/Second Chance picnic and slide set 2 ( <– click to view either set)
- Watch a heart transplant operation on the web (<– click to view)
- Presentation slides for “How our gastroenterology system works (Digestive System)” (<– click here) by Dr. Ayaz Matin
- Celebration of Life 2011 photos now available (<– click here to view the slide show)
- Team Hahnemann DASH photos available (<– click to view … and you can add your own!)
- Help raise money for Second Chance by using eScript for your on-line shopping, same prices but Second Chance gets a donation with each purchase – just click here –>
- Transplant Patient Resources – growing list now available under Patient Resources (see navigation on the right of this page)
- Second Chance brochures for recipients and candidates
- Patient education booklets from ITNS (free as downloads) – See newest one: Sexual Heath After Transplant, and their full library, including…
- The Transplant Patient Educational Booklet Series on Diabetes, Pregnancy, Diet and Exercise, Dental Care, Maintaining Healthy Lifestyle, Controlling GI Side Effects, Skin Cancer
as a free 7 CD set
- Slide presentation: Cardiovascular Screening: Tracking your blood pressure and blood sugar (<– click to download 760kb PDF file)
given by Shelley Hankins MD, Medical Director, The Center for Advanced Heart, Failure Care at Hahnemann
- When you order service from Verizon, see how you can help Second Chance: Verizon Flyer (<– click here to download PDF flyer)
- Health Management: links to articles of health interest
- Celebration of Life 2010 Photos <– click here for viewing