Ireland's Hope

HOPE for heart transplant families

Ireland's Hope was inspired by a spunky little girl named Ireland Larson.  She was born with a heart defect called Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome, which means her heart had an underdeveloped right ventricle.  Ireland experienced her first open heart surgery when she was just six weeks old. By the time Ireland was four years old, she had already undergone three open heart surgeries. In addition to this, Ireland spent a large portion of her life in and out of hospitals.

As time passed, Ireland continued to experience health complications. She was eventually diagnosed as being in advanced heart failure. She would require a heart transplant in order to survive. Ireland became hospitalized again in January of 2015, where she spent 10 long months waiting to receive a heart transplant, and a second chance at life. Finally, in October of 2015, Ireland got her heart transplant.

Even though Ireland’s Hope was named after Ireland herself, this foundation does exist for all the brave young warriors in need of HOPE.

The mission of Ireland’s Hope is to increase pediatric organ donation while providing financial assistance to families of children who are undergoing a heart transplant. We are dedicated to sending the message of HOPE.

Providing Financial Support

Families who have a child who is undergoing a pediatric heart transplant are frequently left both emotionally and financially devastated. Many parents are needing to stop working outside the home in order to care for their ill child. Ireland’s Hope helps families with their non-medical day-to-day living expenses. It is our desire to help restore hope during this difficult time.

Ireland’s Hope provides financial support to families who have a child currently awaiting a heart transplant or recovering from a heart transplant in Region 7 of the United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota).

Organ Donor Registration

We are committed to increasing organ donor awareness in the United States. There is currently more than 122,000 people on the National Transplant List waiting to receive an organ. Over 2,000 of the individuals waiting are children. It is paramount that this issue exists in the mainstream. We are committed to bringing national attention to this cause through education, public forums, and social media.

Equally importantly, we are dedicated to increasing organ donor registration within the United States. With a new name being added to the National Transplant List every 10 minutes, it is of utmost importance that those who are able to register for organ donation actually do register. We want to ensure that as many people in need of transplants can find the care and help they deserve.