ORLANDO, Fla. – The American Heart Association is gearing up for a big weekend in Orlando -- the Greater Orlando Heart Walk.
Kylie Krapf is only 2 years old, and will have her third heart surgery next month. Her mother, Tiffany, is raising awareness about Kylie's heart defect and supporting other parents through a group that helped her called Precious Little Hearts.
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"It's so important. So many children are born with this problem. It's number one birth defect, and not a lot of people know about it," Krapf said.
While Precious Little Hearts helps families like Kylie's, it also raises money for the American Heart Association.
"One of most important things you need is someone there for support. You don't know what's gonna happen, but they do. We've met other parents and babies born like her, and we're doing the same thing now, helping them, giving support system and it keeps going on," she said.
Funds from AHA not only help families, but pay for research. At the Florida Hospital Center for Thrombosis Research, Dr. Ali Amirkhosravi is part of a team looking for ways to modify cancer drugs that cause blood clots and strokes in some patients.
"Hopefully patients can benefit from the effects of that drug without the undesirable side effects," Amirkhosravi said.
A major component of what keeps the research and support groups going is funds raised through the AHA Heart Walk, which will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, at Loch Haven Park in Orlando. It's free and open to the public.
The Volusia-Flagler Heart Walk is coming up on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m. on LPGA Boulevard and it's also free and open to the public.
If you'd like to support the American Heart Association through giving, click here.