MARY-LOUISE PARKER

Mary-Louise Parker is a two-time Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe award-winning actress and writer whose career spans Off-Broadway, Broadway, regional theater, television, and film. She was a contributing editor to Esquire magazine for over a decade, and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Glamour, Hemispheres, Bomb, Elle Magazine and many others. Her book, Dear Mr. You, was translated into multiple languages and on The San Francisco Chronicles list of 'Ten Best Books of 2015'. She is currently teaching theater at Bennington College.

ABOUT TEAM HEART

When strep throat is left untreated, it can develop into rheumatic heart disease (RHD). In sub-Saharan Africa, where strep throat largely goes untreated, it has led to an estimated 275,000 premature deaths occurring each year. Unfortunately, RHD continues to take young lives, and in Rwanda alone, there are more than 40,000 teens and young adults with undiagnosed RHD. Rheumatic Heart disease is a preventable disease and unfairly affects the young and those in poverty. 

Team Heart is a volunteer-based, non-profit that has been working in Rwanda since 2007 to address the most common heart problem in Africa affecting the most vulnerable children, teens, and young adults. Team Heart has been working with the local government to achieve the goal of building a sustainable healthcare delivery system that is managed by Rwandans, for Rwandans through skills transfer, education, and direct care.  Through this collaboration, more than 300 teens and young adults have had life-saving cardiac valve replacements and received long-term care, and 7500 children have been screened for rheumatic heart disease in their communities.  Additionally, more than 100 nurses have received education upgrades and skill transfers to diagnose, treat, and refer when needed from rural communities to improve care. 

In 2024, Team Heart will focus on Five District Hospitals to strengthen cardiac care where it is needed most; at the entry point to the health care system. Through improving skills and collecting data to work with the local government and Ministry of Health, Team Heart aims to make the nurse central and the pivot point to improve care and increase awareness and prevention in the community that will serve 2.4 million Rwandans. 

This scarf is printed in a limited, numbered edition of 100. $100 from each sale of this scarf from April 24, 2024 to September 27, 2025 will be donated to Team Heart. There will be a maximum donation of $10,000.