A message from Glen Kaneshige, President:
As most of you may know, the American Heart Association (AHA) is a nationwide non-profit organization established to fund innovative research to prevent and treat heart disease, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to save and improve lives through cardiac care. The Heart Walk is the AHA’s premier event for raising funds to save lives from the United States of America's No. 1 and No. 5 killers – heart disease and stroke. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. About every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack. A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when an obstruction blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
I have supported AHA and served as a board member of the Hawaii chapter because my father was a heart attack survivor. He collapsed during a round of golf when he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed by ambulance to Kuakini Hospital where he spent the next few days in the ICU until a stent could be inserted into a blocked artery of his heart. Years later, he fell and struck his head which resulted in a subdural hematoma where the brain hemorrhaging resulted in pooling of the blood between the skull and surface of the brain. The swelling of his brain resulted in the same symptoms of a stroke and his rehabilitation was very similar to that of a stroke victim. While spending time with my father in rehabilitation, I witnessed the difficult journey to recovery for many stroke survivors and their families.
Participating in the Heart Walk is about coming together, honoring survivors, getting hearts pumping, raising lifesaving funds, and celebrating healthy living. I encourage all of you to join Nordic PCL’s team and participate in the 2024 Hawai'i Heart Walk on Saturday August 3rd, 7:30 AM at Kapiolani Park.
