SHANGHAI, Sept 29 -- THE Shanghai Child Health Foundation and Shanghai Children's Hospital yesterday kicked off a fund for poor children with congenital heart disease.

The fund's first donation of 100,000 yuan (US$12,500) will sponsor surgery for children with the disease.

Congenital heart disease is a common deformity in the country, which sees 150,000 children born with the disease every year. Thirty percent of them die. Doctors said children born with congenital heart disease should receive surgery before they are 2 years old, or two-thirds could die before they reach that age.

The fund is the second charity project to be launched by the health foundation and the hospital. Since last year, they have run a fund for premature babies from low-income families.

"So far, the premature fund has helped 10 children, who have all recovered after effective treatment," said Fang Binghua, director of the Shanghai Children's Hospital. "We hope more local enterprises and individuals can give donations to help sick children."

Cheng Youxiang was one of the 10 children who benefited from the fund. Doctors discovered his parents earned just 900 yuan a month and helped them apply for funding.