Big Dreams, Brave Hearts: The Heart Children Calendar 2027 Is Here
Every €10 Calendar Helps Heart Children Thrive
The 2027 Heart Children Ireland calendar is out now, celebrating the hopes and dreams of children living with congenital heart disease (CHD). It costs €10, and every sale supports children and families affected by CHD.
This year's calendar is called Hopes & Dreams, and its photos show what the children in it want to be when they grow up. Almost 60 children took part in the charity's photoshoots, and around 60 more appear on the Superstars pages in photos sent in by their parents. That's around 120 children in all. They have been through more than most of us ever will, and their ambitions are as big as anyone's.
Chill has sponsored the calendar for more than a decade, covering the printing costs so that the money from every calendar sold goes to the charity.
Who Are Heart Children Ireland?
Heart Children is the national charity supporting people born with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families, from diagnosis before birth right through to adulthood.
CHD is the most common type of birth defect worldwide. In Ireland it affects one in every 100 babies, around 500 to 600 children a year. Half of them will need open-heart surgery, and over 450 of these operations are carried out on children at CHI Crumlin every year. Almost 19,000 people are living with CHD in Ireland today.
All of the charity's services are free to members. Like many other charities, it relies heavily on donations and fundraising, such as its yearly calendar. It also speaks up for patients: in 2026 its lobbying, alongside adult CHD consultants, helped secure HSE funding for a new consultant cardiologist and other staff at the Adult CHD Unit in the Mater Hospital.
Our Part And What The Calendar Has Raised
Heart Children does the hard work behind the calendar: organising the photoshoots, putting it together and selling it through members, families and friends. Our part is paying for the printing, so the charity keeps more from every sale.
It has become one of the charity's most important sources of income. Last year around 4,500 calendars were sold, and the 2026 edition raised over €50,000. Over the last three years, calendar sales have brought in more than €130,000 for Heart Children.
Where The Money Goes
To put it in context, last year's calendar raised more than Heart Children spent on its entire nationwide play therapy service in 2025. Money from the calendar helps the charity:
- Support families with a child in hospital long-term, covering costs like travel and accommodation. This is the charity's biggest area of spending, and it rose by 35% in 2025.
- Fund 14 play therapy sessions close to home for children aged 4 to 12 with CHD, and their brothers and sisters, to help them cope with the trauma of surgery and long hospital stays.
- Provide sessions with a clinical psychologist for parents who need support.
- Help families whose child needs a heart transplant in the UK, through the Blue Ribbon Fund.
- Run youth services, summer camps and the Beat Goes On conference, helping teenagers prepare for the move to adult care. In 2026 Ireland hosted the European Summer Camp in Carlingford, bringing together 35 young people with CHD from five countries.
Since 2003, Heart Children has also donated over €3 million to the Children's Heart Centre in Crumlin to fund staff and equipment.
How To Buy Your Calendar
Calendars cost €10 each and you can buy them directly from the Heart Children website. If you'd like to sell them at work, at school or in your club, you can also order a batch on a sale-or-return basis.
A calendar makes a great stocking filler and a simple way to support Heart Children. Thank you for your support.
