Mumbai : Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children in association with Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust organized the 5^th edition of the childrenÂs most favourite event- ÂLittle Hearts Marathon 2018 at Bandra Kurla Complex on 7^th Jan 2018. More than 25,000 children from across Maharashtra participated in the marathon.

Mrs Amruta Fadnavis, Wife of Hon. Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr Devendra Fadnavis, graced the occasion and flagged off the marathon. Also present at the flag-off event were Dr Ramdas Ambatkar, State General Secretary, BJP Maharashtra, Ms. Shraddha Jadhav, Corporator & Ex Mayor of Mumbai, Mr Arvind Sawant, MP, Mr Rajesh Mahapuskar, Director of the award-winning Marathi film ÂVentilatorÂ, Mr Ness Wadia, MD, The Wadia Group and Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO, Wadia Hospitals. 

Approximately 100,000 babies are born each year with Âmajor and Âcritical Congenital heart diseases (CHD) in India. As symptoms for congenital heart diseases begin at 1 or 2 months of age, often the diagnosis of the same is missed; making it the biggest reason for increased mortality and morbidity. Due to general lack of awareness, approximately 10% of infant mortality in India can be accounted for by CHD alone. The number of children who are in waiting list for heart surgeries is more then 500 in Maharashtra state alone. Also the rate of cardiac diseases in young adults is increasingly alarmingly with sedentary lifestyle. The Marathon also promotes the message of a healthy active lifestyle amongst children.

Mrs. Amruta Fadnavis Said ÂAwareness of doing physical activity is very important in children. Running, walking will help them to keep healthy. TodayÂs generation play on laptops, phone, and video game. Little hearts marathon has seen more than 25000 children participated for healthy lifestyle & creating awareness. She concluded by appreciating the initiative of Wadia hospitals of ÂSave Heart Save Life and gave them best wishes for the event.Â

Ness Wadia, MD, Wadia Group, said, ÂWe are extremely happy to see how Little Hearts Marathon has evolved over the last 5 years. The zeal with which children have participated year after year gives us sheer joy and encourages us to do more to ÂSave Hearts Save LivesÂ. In our endeavour to have no waiting lists for cardiac surgeries throughout the country, we will be taking Little Hearts Marathon to more cities across India in coming years. We wish more and more people come forward from the community to support this noble cause.Â

Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO Wadia Hospitals, said, ÂWe dedicate the success of Little Hearts Marathon to the lovely children who enthusiastically participate to support children of their age suffering from heart diseases. Today there exist only a handful of specialized centres offering dedicated paediatric cardiac services across India. Wadia Hospitals is the first childrenÂs hospital to have introduced expert Paediatric Cardiac Care services in the bustling and heavily populated metropolis of Mumbai. At Wadia we have a specialized team including Paediatric Cardiologist, Paediatric cardiac Surgeon and Paediatric Cardiac Intensivists, added Dr Bodhanwala. 

Mr. Aadesh Bandekar, Chairman, Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, said, ÂSiddhivinayak temple has always supported Little Hearts Marathon and helped to create awareness and treatment of those children suffering with cardiac disease. With Wadia Hospitals, we are doing a lot of health activities since many years and helping with funds for needy patients and we will continue to do so.Â