| NEWSLETTER |
September 2007 | |
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Greetings! |
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Welcome to the first issue of the Saving Young Hearts (SYH) newsletter! We hope that it will help keep you informed on our efforts to help save children and young adults from the often tragic effects of sudden cardiac arrest. Please share it with others by clicking on forward email at the bottom of this page. You can always visit our website at www.savingyounghearts.org to stay up-to-date with SYH. |
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Heart Screening Event |
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Our first heart screening event in partnership with HeartScreen America (HSA) was a success. The two day event took place on August 17 & 18 at the West Oaks Mall in Ocoee. The screening focused on children and young athletes between the ages of 6 and 18 years old, which included a personal & family questionnaire, blood pressure reading, body mass index calculation and electrocardiogram (ECG). Approximately 7-10 business days after the screening, parents received a letter by mail with ECG results reviewed by a board certified cardiologist on the HSA team.
A total of 288 children were registered from 14 different cities and 4 counties. The screening results indicate that 6% of the children screened were referred to seek further evaluation by a pediatric cardiologist or primary care physician. These children and families would have not otherwise known about potential underlying problems if they had not been screened.
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors we were able to offer the $50 screenings at just $10 per child. The first 100 that registered were eligible for a refund, however, approximately half of those donated their refund back to SYH, which we greatly appreciate.
Photo: (left to right) Krissy O'Neill, Special Assistant to the President of HSA, Mike Castleman, Regional Manager for Cardiac Science, Bert Vining, President of HSA, Martha and Andy Anderson, President and Director of SYH. |
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Public Service Announcement (PSA) |
| Parent Heart Watch, a national network of parents who have lost children to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) or whose children are at known risk for SCA has released its first public service announcement (PSA) titled "Rewind". The PSA was produced by the Summer 2007 Intern Group at JPL Productions, Inc.
SYH is an affiliate of Parent Heart Watch.
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| Quick Links |
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Parent Heart Watch Public Service Announcement
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Giving from the Heart |
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Our amazing team of volunteers come from near and far to give of their time and skills. Special thanks to: Traci Burns, Michell Fisher, Tori Fisher, Daphne Hardcastle, Jennifer Hill, Marge Johnstone, Karen Karpy, Cheryl & Ray Lalloo, Beth Otts, Chris
Roberts, Kaytie Stine and Rosemary Wilsen.
We also want to extend our sincere appreciation to: Ocoee Fire Explorers, Javier & Amanda Carbuccia, Mike Castleman, Ken Fisher, Jim Fleming, Commissioner Rusty Johnson, Keily Potter, Mayor Scott Vandergrift and Rob Williams for their unwavering support.
SYH is an all volunteer organization; there are no paid or salaried positions. |
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Our Mission |
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Advocate education and awareness programs about sudden cardiac arrest in children and young adults.
Properly place automated external defibrillators in Florida schools and other places where youth regularly congregate.
Encourage and facilitate CPR/AED education. | |
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Automated External Defibrillator - hard to say, but easy to use |
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If you can't seem to remember how to say or spell de-fib-rill-a-tor, please take a good look at the universal sign for Automated External Defibrillator or AED (to the right). Also know that the first person at the scene of a cardiac arrest is in the best position to save a life, if the rescuer is equipped with an AED.
An AED is a device designed to analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver an electrical shock(s) to a victim, if needed. This shock, called defibrillation, is the most effective way to restore a heart's normal rhythm. When a victim suffers sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) every minute counts; every minute that a victim goes without defibrillation decreases the chances of survival by 7-10%.
- AEDs must be publicly accessible, not in locked offices, closets or drawers.
- Most AEDs can be used by anyone (even someone as young as a fourth grader).
- The AED guides its user step by step through voice and/or visual prompts.
- An AED will not deliver a shock unless it is necessary.
- State and federal Good Samaritan Laws protect individuals who use AEDs in good faith from liability risks.
The proper placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools and other places where youth regularly congregate is part of SYH's mission. Since October 2006, SYH has equipped 15 area schools and other places where children regularly congregate with AEDs, through fundraising events, sponsorships, granting sources and donations. |
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CPR / AED Training |
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Training in CPR and AED skills is necessary to better understand the role of defibrillation in the broader context of the cardiac chain of survival. 
These skillls will enable you to use all the steps in the cardiac chain of survival, thereby, significantly increasing a victim's chance of survival. The cardiac chain of survival consists of four critical steps to help ensure survival from sudden cardiac arrest:
Step 1 - Early access to 911
Step 2 - Early cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to get oxygen rich blood to the brain and heart
Step 3 - Early defibrillation (AED)
Step 4 - Early advanced life support, as needed
SYH has been able to coordinate training for the faculty and staff at schools where AEDs have been placed through the collaborative efforts of municipal and county Fire Rescue Departments.
CPR/AED training is regularly offered by the American Red Cross and American Heart Association for a fee. Ocoee residents can take free Friends & Family CPR instruction on the fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Fire Station One located at 563 North Bluford Avenue in Ocoee. For more information on the free CPR class (for Ocoee residents only) call 407-905-3100, ext. 9-2003 or visit www.ci.ocoee.fl.us.
Photo: Faculty and staff at Ocoee Elementary School during CPR/AED training provided by Engineer Carl Curtis with the Ocoee Fire Dept. and Ofc. Jamie Byrd with the Ocoee Police Dept. |
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Our Sponsors |
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Aggressive Appliances · Cardiac Science · Chick-fil-A at West Oaks Mall · City of Ocoee · DiPrete Engineering & Associates · Foundation Academy of Winter Garden · The Hill Family · Lougheed Resource Group, Inc. · Mary Ellen Murray SILPADA Designs · Ocoee Fire Department - Fully Involved Program · Rotary Club of Ocoee
Heart Screening Event: Arnold, Matheny & Eagan, P.A. · Castleworks, Inc. · Chick-fil-A at West Oaks Mall and of Ocoee · City of Ocoee · Continental Distinctive Homes & Interiors · Electrolux · HADCO · Muddy Duck Pizza Company · Ocoee Fire Department - Fully Involved Program · Stonebridge Custom Homes · VFW Mens Auxiliary Post 4305 · West Oaks Mall · Westye Group Southeast · |
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How YOU Can Help...
- Facilitate a presentation by SYH to your school, business, church, neighborhood group, civic organization or club.
- Ask community organizations to hold fundraisers to provide AEDs to schools and other public facilities.
- Check with your school or recreation league to see if they have a Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program.
- Make a tax-deductible donation
- Become a certified AED/CPR trainer and volunteer your time and skills to train others in the community.
Sincerely,
Martha Lopez-Anderson
SAVING YOUNG HEARTS, INC.
Screen a Heart, Save a Life, Let the Beat Go On! |
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