SEPTEMBER 2025

We have recently returned from the fifth Deadly Heart Trek to provide education and critical early diagnoses and treatment for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

Together with the local health workers and schools, this strengths-based work supplemented current services which are underfunded and under-resourced, improving access to health services and building community resilience and self-determination.

Over 2 weeks, we visited 12 communities in the Katherine and Big Rivers Region, and delivered education sessions and activities to approximately 1,000 community members at schools, health clinics and community gathering places.

Community survey responses to date show they would warmly welcome the teams’ return and recommend the Trek to others, reflecting both its clinical value and the trust built through genuine, community-led partnership.

Screening results for children and young people:

•    816 children screened, 92% (752) Aboriginal 
•    741 normal hearts
•    27 new RHD cases diagnosed, treated and reviewed
•    15 known RHD cases (all Aboriginal)
•    42 total RHD cases identified (all Aboriginal)
•    5.1% of all children screened had RHD (5.6% among Aboriginal children)
•    32% (238) had skin infections from those who received skin checks

The World Heart Federation defines a high burden of RHD as more than 0.2% of children affected. This region therefore faces a high burden, with 5.1% of children having RHD.

Our huge thank you to Partners: Sunrise Health Service, Katherine West Health Board, Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service, the schools, Community Elders and Leaders including Wardaman/Dagoman Cultural Leader May Rosas, Sunrise Chairperson Anne-Marie Lee and the Jawoyn Elders, NT Rheumatic Heart Disease Control Program, Department of Education NT, NT Health, Strong Hearts, NT Cardiac, Central Aboriginal Land Council, Northern Aboriginal Land Council, The Goods Project, HeartKids, Heart Foundation Australia, Humpty Dumpty Foundation, GE Healthcare, Deadly Science, VioletCo and Take Heart. 

Thank you also to the Trek’s founding philanthropic partner Snow Foundation, providing project management, logistics, community engagement, funding and communications for the Deadly Heart Trek.

We will continue to listen, learn, and advocate alongside communities and partners to improve health outcomes through self-determination, complementing and strengthening long-term First Nations leadership.

We will also continue talking with politicians and key stakeholders to increase awareness and drive action for more funding and attention to #endRHD.

"Your visit has made real difference. The way you connected with our community, educated and highlighted the importance of your screening meant so much to us. You didn't just bring important information; you discovered one teenager at our school who never knew she had rheumatic heart disease and as a result, she will now get the ongoing care that she needs. Our nearby communities also highlighted cases of rheumatic heart disease in many youths that would have otherwise lived with this condition unnoticed and more devastatingly untreated." 

Here's a taste of the media coverage:

Trek tackles heart disease cruelling Indigenous lives – National Indigenous Times, 6 August

This team is trekking to stop a preventable disease – SBS NITV, 15 August

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Thank you from The Deadly Hearts Board: Co-Chair Vicki Wade - Associate Professor, First Nations Senior Research Fellow, Menzies, Paediatric Cardiologists Dr Bo Remenyi, Dr Gavin Wheaton and Dr Rob Justo, Karen Iles – Director and Principal Violet Legal & Consulting, Co-Chair Georgina Byron - CEO The Snow Foundation.

Photo above: School education session on healthy skin and hearts with Noongar woman and Trek leader Vicki Wade and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Trek leader Rique Thomas - Yuin nation and Badu Islands

Paediatric Cardiologist Dr Ben Reeves doing echo heart scan with child

Learning about echos with Dr Ben Reeves and Dr Gavin Wheaton, and Gina Majid - RHD Control NT

Trek team received a cultural briefing in Katherine from May Rosas Senior Elder, Teacher, Custodian and a Traditional Owner of Country and keeper of many Wardaman/Dagoman traditions 

Paediatric Cardiologist Dr Bo Remenyi being filmed by ABC and school girl wearing Heart Kids socks, following her echo scan

Children watching the Take Heart Songlines film about rheumatic heart disease, lying on a Basket Bed by Goods

Echo heart scans: Sonographer Lucy Law and Paediatric Cardiologist Dr Gabbi Dent Right: Paediatric Cardiologist Dr Bo Remenyi in community, powering her Echo by car

Snow Foundation's Sally Grimsley-Ballard and Georgina Byron with Anne-Marie Lee Chairperson of Sunrise Community Services (Barunga)

Dr Bo Remenyi, Deadly Hearts Co-Chair Vicki Wade, Hon. Jo Hersey - NT Minister for Education and Training, Deadly Hearts Co-Chair and CEO Snow Foundation Georgina Byron, and Dr Gavin Wheaton at the Katherine community event and Take Heart Songlines film screening

Aboriginal Trek leader Cleavon Davis giving an education session on healthy skin and hearts