Global Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts

08/25/2026

Remembering Belen Altuve Blanton
July 22 1965 - August 24, 2026

Some of you may already have heard the heartbreaking news that our beloved Belen Blanton has died following a stroke, after several days in the ICU with complications related to her heart and kidneys.

Belen was loved by everyone who knew her. She was positive, vibrant, beautiful, generous, and endlessly selfless. She never took for granted the gift of life she had been given—and from an early age, she made it her mission to give back to the congenital heart disease (CHD) community.

Born with tricuspid atresia in Venezuela in 1961, Belen was born at a time and in a place where lifesaving heart surgery was not available. Thankfully, her family was able to travel to the United States, where she received the surgery and lifelong medical care that gave her the opportunity to live.

And live she did. Belen built a happy, productive, deeply loved life—far beyond what anyone might have expected given the challenges she faced.

For more than six decades, she devoted herself to helping others. Through her nonprofit, Fundacion Estrellita de Belén Corp, she worked tirelessly to provide cardiac care to children from low-income families in Venezuela. She was also a cherished member of the Global ARCH family, serving as a board member and ambassador and lending her voice to countless awareness and advocacy initiatives—including speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in 2023.

Belen endured countless heart surgeries, hospitalizations, and difficult days with extraordinary grace, courage, and humour. Yet somehow, she always brought joy into the room. Her cheerful, sing-song voice, infectious positivity, fabulous outfits, and ever-changing nail polish will forever be part of how we remember her—even during the moments when it was clear how hard she was struggling to breathe.

Belen showed us what it means to turn a life saved into a life dedicated to saving and improving the lives of others.

Belen, we love you. You will always be a shining star in our Global ARCH family, and your light will continue to inspire the CHD community around the world. ⭐️❤️

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly: https://youtu.be/5o7r0Mj7tq0?si=RvotkO2S6PrnBMlL

Belen AltuveBlanton

05/26/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Professor Liesl Zuhlke for winning the prestigious 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award Laureate for Africa and the Arab States in the field of Life and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Zuhlke is a founding member of the Global ARCH Medical Advisory Council and a true pioneer in treating children with rheumatic ( ) and congenital heart disease ( ), particularly in underserved populations.

Global ARCH has been extremely fortunate to have benefited from Dr. Zuhlke's guidance and vast wealth of knowledge and experience. We are very proud of you ❤️.

05/25/2026

Global ARCH is so proud of Suchismita Halder and her fellow moms for bucking the norms and getting published in a medical journal that challenges the status quo. The article - Challenges faced and lessons learnt while trying to review CHD care in India from parents’ perspective - will be all too familiar to non-medical advocates. It stresses "Incorporating lived experience into CHD policymaking is essential for creating pathways that are realistic, equitable, and aligned with the everyday challenges faced by the CHD
families."
Congratulations to all!

05/20/2026

For anyone who want to learn more about congenital heart disease and exercise this is a great article. Some exercise is almost always better than no exercise, no matter what the heart defect is.

What nobody told us parents about exercise — and what it has cost our children

05/02/2026

Global ARCH’s first Summit in Latin America brought together a powerful community united by a shared purpose. Across organizations, countries, and experiences, we came together to connect, learn, and move forward as one.

This is what collaboration looks like.
This is how change happens.

Together, we are building the future of lifelong care for childhood-onset heart disease.

A special thank you to Kardias for hosting us and making this gathering possible.

Thank you to the organizations who made this possible:
CardioChavitos, Menudos Corazones, Global ARCH, Corazón de Niño, Kardias, Fundación ABC, Bebe Cardio, Fundación María, Fundación Corazoncitos, Fundacion Latidos.

Be part of what comes next.

GlobalHealth HealthEquity StrongerTogether Collaboration HeartHealth NonprofitLeadership GlobalImpact