 |
|
|
|
|
| [an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
Over a hundred neighbors and community leaders--including the mayor of Indianapolis, Bart Peterson--celebrated the launch of the first Neighborhood Heart Watch program in the country. Residents of the Wynnedale neighborhood in Indianapolis gathered in the Children's Better Health Fitness Farm Scholarship Hall, also located in Wynnedale, to learn about the lifesaving new initiative.
"We are blessed to live in a time where medical technology advances at the rate that it does in this country and in this world today," said Mayor Peterson, who knows firsthand the wrenching experience of nearly losing his father to cardiac arrest. "But our technology is only as good as our ability to apply it in a practical way to save people's lives. We have automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The key is to get the device where it can actually save lives-where the people are. Neighborhood Heart Watch is a wonderful program."
The creative mind behind the Neighborhood Heart Watch Program, Dr. Douglas Zipes, outlined the concept to residents, explaining the simplicity of its execution, the importance of greater access to AEDs, and the amazing statistics of how many lives could be saved.
"Either you or your neighbor will die of cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Zipes, who stressed the fact that heart disease is the number-one cause of death in the world. "Half of heart-related deaths are due to a heart rhythm problem where your heartbeat gets so fast that your heart can no longer pump blood to the brain, and you die.
"We know the cure for sudden cardiac arrest. And it's right here in that box. It's a shock delivered to the heart through the chest wall, restoring life instantly. It's that dramatic.
"Why the stress on the Neighborhood Heart Watch? Because 75 to 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests occur in the home. Placing AEDs in public places only treats the tip of the iceberg--hence this new concept and the lifesaving therapy that it may provide."
Lt. Gregg Harris of the Indianapolis Fire Department--a devoted volunteer who teaches CPR and AED use to adults and children throughout the metropolis--explained the "Chain of Survival" and demonstrated how easily defibrillators work.
Wynnedale residents listened intently to the speakers then visited the location of the AED on hand for their use in case of a sudden cardiac emergency in the neighborhood. Several residents also decided to purchase a device for their homes.
"My husband has had bypass surgeries and heart attacks," one resident said. "I'm glad that it's so close to my home. In fact, I believe that I may purchase one to keep on hand."
The following day, an AED was placed in the gate-house of Wynnedale's neighboring Holcomb Estates, where all residents of Spring Hill will possess the code for the lockbox containing the AED should a cardiac arrest occur. Other communities have expressed interest in joining the Neighborhood Heart Watch program.
|
