I (Heart) February

According to the American Heart Association, Cardio Vascular disease, including stroke, claims more women's lives than the next seven causes of death combined--nearly 500,000 a year, nearly twice as many as all forms of cancer.*

February is American Heart Month and it's a great time to remind people to take a CPR/AED course to learn something that could save a life. It holds a special place in my heart (no pun intended) for two reasons:

Before I left the corporate world, I had the honor and privilege of working for an automated external defibrillator (AED) manufacturer. As a member of the marketing team, I met many survivors of cardiac arrest--something that, if untreated, can kill a person within minutes. Unlike a heart attack, there are usually no prior symptoms and a person loses consciousness, stops breathing and has no pulse. These survivors had been saved by good samaritans or trained responders who used an AED. At the time, AEDs were being installed in public locations--from airports like O'Hare International, to airlines, parks, ferries, train stations, ball fields, and schools. Nowadays, AEDs can be purchased by individuals for home use and it's remarkable to see my former company's vision attained: to have AEDs as accessible as fire extinguishers. Speaking with survivors and hearing their stories made me realize that sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time with little or no warning.

I also learned this first hand, when my sister died in August 2003. She was 40.

February 4 is "Wear Red Day" for women. Several landmarks, including the Space Needle and the Empire State Building will be illuminated in red to raise awareness in women. For more information click here.






Source: American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3016992)