At 11 months old, little Jim Leitner is a fighter.

His battle began before he was born when doctors discovered he had a heart defect. Its continued with two open heart surgeries in the first two months of his life.

Through it all, the Leitner family has found support to lean on courtesy of a former Carolina Panthers player.

“There definitely were moments in the hospital where I felt paralyzed as a mom,” Sarah Leitner told Channel 9′s DaShawn Brown. “There was nothing I could do, but then I remembered God is still bigger than this. … I couldn’t have handled this alone, but he gave us Levine (Children’s Hospital), he gave us the HEARTest Yard.”

READ MORE: Former Panthers Kuechly, Olsen pass knowledge as coaches in youth football

Retired NFL tight end Greg Olsen and his wife, Kara, created the nonprofit which has grown to include the annual FitFest fundraiser. The Olsen’s own son, T.J., has recently celebrated one year with a new heart after suffering from his own defect.

“When I look back 10 years ago, the amount of people, family, friends, but then strangers (who offered support),” Greg said. Now, to be able to have other families add us to that list of support at the HEARTest Yard, I know that when they’re building an army of people around them. the HEARTest Yard is one component to that.”

HEARTest Yard offers various free healthcare services to families with children who have a congenital heart disease.

This year’s FitFest is Thursday at the Atrium Health Dome at Bank of America Stadium. The foundation has a fundraising goal of $88,000. Anyone can sign up here.

By Alex Malloy for The Island Connection

Kiawah Island Club – and its owners, South Street Partners – were honored to partner with member and friend, Greg Olsen, and his family to host the inaugural HEARTest Yard Celebrity Classic on June 5 and 6 at the Club’s Tom Fazio-designed River Course. The event raised $300,000, 100% of which will go towards funding the expansion of this incredible pediatric cardiovascular foundation’s services to patients and families in the Charleston Region in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina (“MUSC”). Greg Olsen will be on hand at an event on Aug. 15 to present the event proceeds to MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.

Under the auspices of Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC, former Carolina Panthers tight end, Greg Olsen, and his wife Kara established the HEARTest Yard program in 2012 after their son, T.J., was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Founded to fill a tremendous need for families of babies born with congenital heart disease, the HEARTest Yard provides healthcare support and services to ease the transition from the hospital to home. Through a partnership between Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation and Atrium Health Foundation, the HEARTest Yard Fund offers a range of services, including in-home private nursing care, physical therapy, and speech therapy, at no charge to families. The program ultimately aims to help prevent children’s complications from congenital heart disease and improve their long-term health. In December 2020, the Olsen family opened The HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center at Levine Children’s Hospital to provide comprehensive medical care to cardiac patients from birth through adulthood. In its first year of operation, more than 25,000 patients received treatment in the heart center. The services provided by The HEARTest Yard program will soon also be offered at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. “At South Street, we believe that one of life’s greatest investments is time. The most priceless of course is time spent with loved ones and we are humbled that Greg and his family have utilized Kiawah Island for just that over the years. After learning more about T.J.’s story and the HEARTest Yard program, we knew that this was the perfect place to expand their efforts. We hope everyone who participated will return year after year to help us support the HEARTest Yard,” said Will Culp, Partner, South Street Partners. The program currently serves the greater Charlotte community but as the foundation grows – and the needs of the Carolinas grow – the HEARTest Yard and South Street Partners were inspired to help heart babies and their families being treated at the world class MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. MUSC and South Street have enjoyed a long-time partnership and the goal of this inaugural event was to expand this already valuable working relationship by bringing the HEARTest Yard to Charleston to help impact local children as well.

In 2021, South Street donated six acres of land to MUSC to meet an identified need for medical services in the Sea Islands and bring a world-class emergency medical facility for those in the community. There will also be a first of its kind in-house medical clinic operated by MUSC Health at Seafields at Kiawah Island, the first 62+ luxury life plan community at Kiawah opening in 2024 besides Freshfields Village.

Even when Greg Olsen was a star player in the NFL, his family struggled to meet the demands of treatment after his son T.J. was born with a serious heart defect.

Now his family charity is extending help to others like them at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital at Medical University of South Carolina.

Olsen’s charity, The HEARTest Yard, donated $300,000 on Aug. 15 to the hospital’s pediatric cardiology program. The proceeds came from its first Celebrity Classic golf tournament in June at the Kiawah Island Club, where Olsen is a member. South Street Partners, which owns the club, was a partner in the event.

Former NFL tight end and co-founder of The HEARTest Yard Greg Olsen walks down a hospital walkway with his son T.J. Olsen, 9, who was born with a serious heart defect, during a tour of the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston on Aug. 15, 2022. Henry Taylor/Staff

T.J. Olsen, 9, who accompanied his father to make the donation, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The defect occurs before birth when the left side of the heart doesn’t develop properly and it subverts the normal blood flow. Every year an estimated 1,025 babies are born with the syndrome, which often requires a series of surgeries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. T.J. endured three open-heart surgeries before getting a heart transplant last year, Greg Olsen said.

“Our eyes became very wide open to just the challenges and the needs that so many heart families like us” have, he said.

It was while T.J. was undergoing the transplant process last year that Olsen said the family and the charity began looking at next steps for outreach.

“How can we continue to wrap our arms around more families in the congenital heart space, not only in Charlotte but throughout the entire Carolina region?” he said. “That led us here to MUSC.”

It is the first outreach for the charity outside the Charlotte area where Olsen, a former tight end for the Carolina Panthers, lives and where the charity has raised more than $5 million for the children’s hospital and for pediatric heart services there. The family also has a place on Kiawah, and part of the reason they vacation there is because of the close proximity of high-level pediatric cardiology in Charleston, Olsen said.

“We have to be very particular about where we go and make sure we have access to care,” he said.

Co-founder of The HEARTest Yard Greg Olsen (left) and his son T.J. Olsen, 9, who was born with a serious heart defect, greet nurse Maribeth Perkins in the pediatric cardiac ICU on a tour of the hospital in Charleston on Aug. 15, 2022. Henry Taylor/Staff

By Henry Taylor htaylor@postandcourier.com
In addition to supporting the hospitals, doctors and staff, the charity seeks to cover the needs families face on the outside. And those can be considerable, said Dr. Mark Scheurer, chief of Children’s and Women’s Services at MUSC. It can be things like special therapy services, help with pharmacy, or navigating the insurance bureaucracy, he said.

“It also puts a tremendous strain on their employment as parents, their juggling of other children,” Scheurer said. “They are often traveling a distance. Even if they are local, those strains go to the core of every family. It’s not just about the intense needs of the individual child. A partnership like this allows us to touch those families and support them in a way that we struggle to do on our own.”

Olsen said he hopes the donation will be “the first of many.” The hope is to “elevate the care for these families and these little heart kids who desperately need our help,” he said. “We know what these families are going through firsthand and that’s why we’ve made such a commitment as a family and as our team at HEARTest Yard.”

Former Carolina Panthers’ tight end Greg Olsen presented the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital with a check for $300,000 on Monday.

The donation comes from the proceeds of the Kiawah Island Club’s First Annual HEARTest Yard Celebrity Classic, played at the Club’s Tom Fazio-designed River Course.

Greg and wife Kara founded the HEARTest Yard program in 2012 after their son T.J. was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The program was created under the auspices of Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC.

The program was established to fill a great need for families of babies born with congenital heart disease. It provides healthcare support and a range of services to ease the family in the transition from hospital to home.

Although the program currently serves Charlotte, it’s hoping to expand to treat the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital community.

By DaShawn Brown, wsoctv.com
August 13, 2022 at 1:03 pm EDT
CHARLOTTE — Former Carolina Panthers Luke Kuechly and Greg Olsen are teaming up again to teach the game to kids.

Olsen and Kuechly are coaching the offensive and defensive lines for a team of 10-year-old players.

Olsen pulls in knowledge from his former teammate and defensive back to ensure their practice is top-notch.

“He’s the all-time, just the best dude,” Olsen said about Kuechly. “He calls me. He texts me in the middle of the day with thoughts. He’ll say, ‘I didn’t like the linebacker drills.”

Kuechly said coaching brings back his days of being a youth player.

“It’s one of my favorite times as a little kid,” Kuechly said. “The first time you get to play football. And for a lot of these kids, it’s their first time playing football. They’re learning everything.”

The HEARTest Yard hosted its sixth annual 5K Saturday to benefit programs at Levine Children’s Hospital.

The foundation was founded by former Carolina Panther Greg Olsen and his wife, Kara Olsen, to support families of children with congenital heart diseases.

Four-year-old Jessie Spence has had open-heart surgery three times. She was diagnosed with a heart defect called aortic atresia hours after she was born. She was later diagnosed with a total of three heart defects.

Newborn Jessie Spence
“You would never know,” her mother, Brooke Spence, said. “If you didn’t see what we call her zipper on her chest, you would never know that Jesse has had three open-heart surgeries. She’s obviously wild.”

Jessie’s father, Tommy Spence, told Channel 9 reporter DaShawn Brown, “The way the surgeon explained it to us, he said, ‘You take Interstate 85 on a holiday weekend and shut it down to one lane. And if all those cars are her blood flow, they’re trying to get through Charlotte on (I-85) on the Fourth of July weekend. It’s not happening.’”

“You never dream that your child will be diagnosed with anything when you have a baby,” Brooke Spence said.

Perhaps one of the Spence’s greatest gifts was learning that they were not alone.

Jessie Spence
The Spences said that lesson came quickly through The HEARTest Yard.

The foundation has paid for critical and often costly services, such as private, in-home nursing care and medical equipment.

“We used every single bit of it,” Brooke Spence said. “Every day. Every single day.”

[ALSO READ: Greg Olsen shares touching video of son TJ telling siblings about heart transplant]

This weekend marked the in-person return of one of its biggest fundraisers, the Sixth Annual HEARTest Yard 5K.

The HEARTest Yard 5K
It’s a source of help and hope for the Spences and other families.

“You forget sometimes that just a short time ago, we were going through the struggle, the unknown,” Tommy Spence said. “And because of the support of everybody and all the foundations in the hospital, the Olsen family, she’s running, digging for worms, flying kites and doing everything that you’re a normal four-year-old kid would do. We weren’t sure we’d be there, and we’re there.”

Dozens lace up their shoes to help children battling congenital heart diseases
Dozens of people laced up their shoes for the cause on Saturday

Panthers legend Greg Olsen spoke at the event to encourage the runners, and about the importance the event has for him and his family. Olsen’s son, TJ, was born with a congenital heart defect, and Olsen has been vocal about his own journey.

“To be able to come out and connect with other families that share our journey brings a lot of hope, optimism, not only for us, but for these other families,” said Olsen.

This year’s 5K came with a few prizes, including a private dinner or breakfast at Showmars with Olsen.

Carolina Panthers’ Greg Olsen is teaming up with Showmars for the first time since the pandemic to host the 6th Annual HEARTest Yard 5K in-person this Saturday in Charlotte.

The race will kick off the morning of May 14th at Atrium Health CMC Myers Park, right across from Freedom Park.

To celebrate the return of the annual event, organizers have coordinated brand-new race features that will
help raise money for children and their families battling congenital heart diseases and disorders (CHDs).

Officials say new, exclusive prizes this year include a private dinner at Showmars with Greg Olsen and a FUNraising challenge.

“We’re so happy to team up with Showmars once again to help heart families throughout the Carolinas,” shared Greg Olsen, founder of HEARTest Yard and Receptions for Research. “The event is tons of family fun and tremendously benefits a cause near and dear to this community.”

Officials say The HEARTest Yard fund helps families with a range of life-changing services including in-home private care, physical therapy and speech therapy, at no charge to families.

The program is personal for Olsen and his family because their son TJ was born with a severe, congenital heart defect, according to a news release.

“It’s so inspiring to see the work that Greg, Kara, and the entire HEARTest Yard team are able to do to
help so many families,” said Dean Peroulas, CEO of The Showmars Hospitality Group. “We’re thrilled to
once again team up with the HEARTest Yard to help raises awareness for CHDs and spread some hope in
our community.””

Participants must register for the Showmars 5K by 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 13th.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Then, and now. Remarkable difference.

Judd Gray was born in May 2019 with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). The picture on the left is when he was 6-days old. The picture on the right was this past year’s Christmas card, 2-and-a-half years later. Judd lives in Whispering Pines in Moore County, about two hours east of Charlotte, but was born at CMC Main, transferred immediately to Levine Children’s Hospital, where he spent his first month.

He continues to receive care at LCH and also receives benefits from The HEARTest Yard, Greg and Kara Olsen’s foundation to help children with heart conditions.

“It’s a program we’ll forever be thankful for,” said Brianna Gray, Judd’s mom. “My son has had two open heart surgeries and will have his third, the Fontan, in the next year or so.”

In honor of Judd and heart month in February, his family wanted to give back to their “heart friends.” They weren’t sure how, until Brianna came up with a beautiful and simple idea.

Judd Gray (right) with his sister
Judd Gray (right) with his sister(Family Photo)
“We hosted a book drive,” she said. “We received over 300 new books from friends, family, and co-workers. We’ll have a final count of exactly how many soon, but next Wednesday (March 23rd), we’re going to Levine Children’s for Judd’s quarterly appointment/echo and we’ll give them to the hospital then. For other kids to use and enjoy and read while they are having treatments.”

Brianna said she and their whole family is passionate about raising awareness for CHDs and giving back.

“So many organizations have helped us along the way,” she said. “Wanted to see if Judd could become part of #MollysKids so you could write about him and then highlight the other groups and shine some light on them. You can find our posts with the hashtag #KeepPoundingJudd.”

Done.

As for all those books?

Check the photo below in comments. It’s Judd and his little sister Emerson, standing amongst them. (Emerson is 18-months old and heart healthy.)

“He turns three on May 22nd,” Brianna said. “He is our reminder that each day is a gift.”

#MollysKids

Together, CPI Security and the HEARTest Yard Foundation are encouraging children in southwest Charlotte to read on National Read Across America Day.

In a recorded video, former All-Pro Carolina Panthers tight end and chairman of the HEARTest Yard Foundation Greg Olsen reads “The Golden Acorn” by Katy Hudson, a short story sharing the important lesson of teamwork. CPI Security purchased 235 copies of the book for each second-grade student at South Pine Academy and Steele Creek Elementary School in Charlotte. The second-grade classes will read along with Olsen on National Read Across America Day. In addition, CPI Security bought extra copies for each school’s student library.

Greg Reading 1

Olsen says he and his wife, Kara, encourage their children to read often. They read regularly to pass time while their son, T.J., was in the hospital receiving treatment for a congenital heart defect, a condition that inspired the start of the HEARTest Yard Foundation.

“There’s only so many things you can do with a boy who’s tied up to an IV and machines, so reading and just exploring his interests and finding books that appealed to him was a good way to pass time for a boy who was stuck in the hospital for two months,” Olsen said.

CPI Community Engagement Committee_ccexpress

As a community-invested and locally owned security company that works to make life safer, this is just one way CPI is giving back to the communities it serves with the goal of creating a better tomorrow for us all.

“Here at CPI, we’re all about not only protecting homes and businesses, and families, but the community that we live in and serve,” CEO and Founder of CPI Security Ken Gill said. “And most importantly today, is that we get these younger people up on reading level by the third grade. If they get up to reading level by the third grade, the chances of them graduating high school goes up tremendously, and then they’ll have a more fulfilled life.”

Ken Gill Packing Bags

Studies have shown that children who were not reading on-level by the end of third grade were four times more likely to drop out of high school.1 Other studies have shown that high school dropouts commit about 75% of crimes in the U.S.2 CPI Security recognizes that reducing crimes starts with investing in our youth and providing them with the tools they need to live successful lives as adults.

“Reading is so super important because it creates access to so many different things,” South Pine Academy Principal Dianna Newman said. “It’s important for testing, sure. It’s important for schoolwork, for sure. But it’s important for life. It’s a life skill that every student needs to have so what we try to promote at South Pine is that reading is fun, and we want them to get lost in books.”

CPI Packs Swag Bags

In late February, CPI Security’s Community Engagement Committee packed CPI swag bags for each second-grade student at South Pine Academy and Steele Creek Elementary School. The swag bags include a copy of “The Golden Acorn,” as well as a CPI notebook, pencil, and sunglasses.

The evening before National Read Across America Day, CPI Security dropped off hundreds of swag bags to each school. Principal Karen Dosier of Steele Creek Elementary School says the school is hosting a spirit week for National Read Across America Day, and this is another way to get kids excited about reading. Greg Olsen Reading

“I think that the students are going to be elated to see this gorgeous book “The Golden Acorn,” and I think they’re going to be extra excited to read it, but also to have a special guest read it to them is going to be extra exciting for them,” Principal Dosier said. “So, we appreciate that partnership with CPI. We are grateful you are neighbors and willing to come alongside the great work that our teachers are doing and the great learning that are students are engaging in.”

As part of the CPI Security and HEARTest Yard Foundation partnership, CPI is also donating copies of “Eamonn the Mighty: Zipper Club Warrior: A hero’s tale of defeating CHD” by Kristen Moran to the Family Resource Library at Levine Children’s Hospital. Kristen Moran is a mother whose child was born with a congenital heart defect, just like T.J. Olsen. The book is meant to empower children whose cardiac surgeries left them with a chest scar.

“We’re going to add those [copies of the book] to the library over at the Levine Children’s Hospital. They can hopefully get in the hands of kids like mine, to make an impact on their stay there, and to hopefully make their stay a little easier,” Olsen said.

Sources:

1 Pre-Kindergarten-Third Grade Literacy – National Conference of State Legislatures

2 The Issue – Students Without Limits

Topics: CPI Security, Newsroom

Former All-Pro Panthers tight end Greg Olsen made a virtual stop by a couple of Charlotte elementary schools Wednesday for National Read Across America Day.

Now chairman of the HEARTest Yard Foundation, Olsen read “The Golden Acorn” by Katy Hudson to second-grade students at South Pine Academy and Steele Creek Elementary School.

The short story shares the importance of teamwork.

CPI Security purchased over 230 copies of the book for each of the second-grade students.

Olsen and his wife, Kara, encourage their children to read often. They read regularly with their son, T.J., who was in the hospital receiving treatment for a congenital heart defect.

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His condition inspired the start of the HEARTest Yard Foundation.

“There’s only so many things you can do with a boy who’s tied up to an IV and machines,” Olsen said. “Reading and just exploring his interests — finding books that appealed to him was a good way to pass time for a boy who was stuck in the hospital for two months.”

Legendary Panthers LB & Assistant Coach Sam Mills among 8 voted into NFL Hall of Fame
Studies show that children who were not reading on level by the end of third grade were four times more likely to drop out of high school.

CPI Security is working to ensure this is not the case in teaming up with the HEARTest Yard Foundation.