TenderHearts is an organization whose main goal is to offer support for families who have children with CHDs through events, family and individual support, workshops, and fundraising opportunities.

Our organization was founded in August 2004 by three moms who had children with CHDs and felt that the DC Metro area was lacking in support for the #1 birth defect. Since that beginning, TenderHearts has grown into a large network of support. The group works with families in the entire DC Metro Area. Although TenderHearts is financially affiliated with the Inova Health Systems Foundation, our members visit many hospitals in the area, including Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s National Medical Center (DC), as well as hospitals as far as Michigan & Boston. We will support you and your family no matter where you receive medical treatment. 

Meet Our Board Members

Laurie Lattanzio – Director, Newsletter Editor and Workshop Coordinator
Laurie is a co-founder of TenderHearts and has led the group for the last five years. Her daughters, Julia and Sophia, have non-compaction cardiomyopathy. Laurie worked as an elementary educator for 8 years and currently substitutes with Fairfax County Public Schools. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a bachelor degree in history and a master degree in teaching.  Laurie lives in Fairfax with her husband, Mike, and her daughters.

Beckie Reilly – Fundraising & Community Outreach Chair
Beckie has been a member of TenderHearts since 2004, just a few months after her son, Collin was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a life threatening CHD.  Beckie is the Founder of Sales Generations LLC, an outsourced sales company.  Prior to starting her own business in 2009, Beckie was the Sales Manager for Thomson Reuters/AuditWatch since 2001.  Previously, Beckie was a Finance and Accounting Recruiter with the Pinnacle Companies and she began her career with KPMG in Washington, DC.  Beckie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Marymount University with a concentration in Accounting and is also a Certified Public Accountant.  Beckie resides in Fairfax, Virginia, is married to her husband, Billy and has two sons, Will and Collin and a Welsh Terrier, Nikki.

Lindsay Haley – Event Organizer
Lindsay has been a member of TenderHearts since the summer of 2004, just a few months after her first daughter, Samantha, underwent surgery to repair some holes in her heart and the implantation of a pacemaker. Lindsay worked as a Human Resources Generalist for 5 years and a Marketing Associate and Project Manager for 4 years. Lindsay also ran her own Wedding and Events Coordination business for several years. Lindsay is now at home full time with Samantha and Jackson (born in July 2007) and is active in the community through TenderHearts, church volunteering, and fostering homeless dogs.

Lisa Greenfield – Marketing Consultant
Lisa joined TenderHearts in 2006 shortly after her daughter Alexandra’s first of three scheduled open heart surgeries for Double Inlet Left Ventricle and Transposition of the Great Arteries.  Lisa owns Corporate Gifts & Incentives, a company specializing in award programs, business gifts, custom corporate apparel, promotional items, political campaign marketing materials as well as a full range of employee benefits, business insurance and HR consulting services.  Lisa lives in Fairfax, Virginia with her husband Jeff, their daughter Alexandra and their dog Zsa Zsa.

Tracy Marrs – Inova Liaison
Tracy currently is a Child Life Specialist at Inova and works with children with congenital heart disease and their families while in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Unit, and in the cardiac cath lab and ep lab.  She has been at Inova since 2005.  She previously worked at University of Maryland Medical Center in their PICU, briefly at Children's Hospital in Denver, CO, and as an intern at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Her bachelor degree is in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University.

J.J. Gardiner – Inpatient Support Chair
JJ joined Tender Hearts in 2007 after her son’s surgical repairs for a ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus.  JJ earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Radford University and a master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from Gallaudet University.  Prior to starting a family, she worked in the Fairfax County Schools for 6 years.  JJ lives in Arlington with her husband and sons Nolan and Sean.