Dear Editor:
Do you know that a strong Hudson County “chain of survival” can mean the difference between life and death for you, a loved one, friend or co-worker? As a Hudson County resident and heart attack survivor, I urge you to join me on Sunday, September 29 to Step Out, Save Lives! – Strengthen the Chain of Survival! at the first-ever Hudson County American Heart Walk.
On September 29 I’ll be one of thousands of American Heart Association “red cap” survivors of cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke or heart surgery throughout New Jersey wearing red baseball caps with the slogan Fighting Back!, and participating in the American Heart Association’s American Heart Walk this fall. My heart attack symptoms were a bit atypical. I was 54 at the time. After two days of occasional burning sensations in my throat, I visited a doctor. Other than high cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease, my blood pressure and EKG were fine. I was scheduled for a stress test later in the week, but less than two days after the initial exam the burning sensations became extreme. I didn’t’ think it was a heart attack, but I went to the emergency room. By the time I arrived I had shortness of breath and extreme sweating. I was having a heart attack. Eventually I received clot-busting drugs, a cardiac catheterization and quadruple ‘beating heart’ bypass surgery. Cardiac rehabilitation put me on the road to recovery, and today I feel great.
As the red cap survivor ambassador of Hudson County American Heart Walk, I’m Fighting Back! I join with the American Heart Association to urge all Hudson County residents to join me at Hudson County American Heart Walk and to strengthen the chain of survival, a critically important four-step process (Early 9-1-1; Early CPR; Early Defibrillation and Early Advanced Care) that can mean the difference between life and death for someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack or stroke.
Please help us strengthen the chain of survival in Hudson County. The American Heart Association says that nearly 80 percent of cardiac emergencies occur at home. Save the life of someone you love! Call 9-1-1 immediately in a cardiac or medical emergency. Learn CPR. Support the widespread availability of automated external defibrillators.
Step Out, Save Lives — Strengthen the Chain of Survival! and join me, a survivor of heart disease, at the 2002 Hudson County American Heart Walk on Sunday, September 29 at Harborside Financial Center in Jersey City. Form a team, join a team or just come out and walk for someone you love and care about. To register for American Heart Walk, call your local office of the American Heart Association at 973-376-3636.
Andrew Sukala
American Heart Association
Red Cap Survivor Ambassador
2002 Hudson County American Heart Walk