At Enduring Hearts, we envision a world where every child that needs a new heart receives one that lasts a lifetime. Enduring Hearts is the only national nonprofit dedicated to funding critical research to increase longevity and improve the quality of life for children with a transplanted heart.
Why we fund
For a child who undergoes a life-saving heart transplant, it’s not the end of the journey; it’s just the beginning. While a successful heart transplant offers hope in life, it’s important to know that it’s not a permanent solution. In fact, approximately 500 children receive a heart transplant every year, with the average lifespan of that transplanted heart lasting less than 20 years. While scientific advances have enhanced the graft survival rates during the initial year, long-term survival has only marginally improved.
What drives our research
Since our inception in 2013, Enduring Hearts has dedicated over $10 million to innovative research initiatives. Our mission revolves around several critical areas, including the development of cutting-edge technologies, the establishment of, the establishment of new post-transplant care guidelines, enhancing patient compliance with vital medications, and most importantly, development of less invasive procedures to combat organ rejection.
Richard E. Chinnock, MD, MHCM, CPE, FAAP, FACHE
On behalf of Enduring Hearts, it is a profound honor to announce Richard E. Chinnock, MD, MHCM, CPE, FAAP, FACHE, as the Enduring Hearts 2026 Medical Honoree. Dr. Chinnock is internationally recognized as a pioneering leader in pediatric heart transplantation, with a distinguished career spanning more than four decades dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children with advanced heart disease. As a founding force behind one of the world’s most influential pediatric heart transplant programs at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, he helped transform heart transplantation in infants and young children from a high-risk last resort into a reliable, life-saving therapy. A respected physician, educator, researcher, and healthcare leader, Dr. Chinnock has authored more than 120 scientific publications, served on the Enduring Hearts Scientific Advisory Committee for nearly six years, and guided generations of physicians through his roles as Medical Director, Pediatric Residency Program Director, Department Chair, and Chief Medical Officer. He will be formally presented with this award during Enduring Hearts’ 11th Anniversary Bourbon Gala, to be held on March 7, 2026, at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, where more than 350 guests will gather to celebrate his extraordinary legacy of compassion, leadership, and lifelong service to children and families.
"Dr. Chinnock’s accomplishments and awards are many, and there is not time to list them all here. While many recognize his clinical expertise and leadership, I believe his greatest contribution has been the example he set for how we care for transplant patients and their families. I first met Richard in 1990 at the Loma Linda Conference on Pediatric Heart Transplantation, when the field was still young and full of ethical uncertainty. Loma Linda was leading the way, following Dr. Leonard Bailey’s first successful infant heart transplant in 1985 on Baby Moses, who recently celebrated 40 years with his transplanted heart. Richard had been recruited as medical director of the heart transplant program. At the time, I was fresh out of training and newly tasked with leading a transplant program myself. I had many questions about decision-making and quality of life for these children. Richard stood out immediately for his unwavering focus on the whole patient—the child, the family, and the community. I left that meeting committed to a career in transplant medicine and determined to always keep humanity at the center of my practice. I could not have found a better role model. Richard has said, “I come to work every day wanting to be a tangible representation of God’s love for the world.” He once described his father as “the lit candle that created the light that lit the whole community.” That image describes Richard perfectly. The pediatric heart transplant community and the Enduring Hearts Scientific Advisory Committee are richer for the light he has given us.He never lets us lose sight of the “why” behind the science: our patients and their families." - Dr. Janet Scheel
Improve longevity and the quality of a child's post heart transplant life by reducing/eliminating rejection and cardiac allograft vaculopathy (CAV)
Identify and develop
pre-transplant strategies, innovations or new technologies for children waiting for, and immediately following, a heart transplant that would improve
post-transplant longevity
Validate and implement evidence-based strategies to improve medication adherence and longevity of recipients during their adolescence and their transition to adult care
