On November 30, 2023, my life changed forever when my Dad had a heart attack while playing paddle with friends in Hingham. His friends started immediate CPR, called 911, and found an AED within seconds. Those seconds started a series of fortunate events that ultimately saved his life. We cannot thank his friends, the incredible Hingham EMTs, and healthcare professionals at South Shore Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and his MedFlight crew, enough for the lifesaving care they gave my Dad and the compassion they treated our family with as we navigated the most agonizing and intense experience of our lives.
While my dad is extremely fortunate to have had such a positive outcome after his severe cardiac event, my family and I remain extremely aware that not everyone is as fortunate. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the #1 cause of death in the United States. According to 2021 US data for adults only, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year, and the survival to hospital discharge rate was only 9.1% for all EMS-treated, out of hospital cardiac arrests. CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. Education and spreading awareness – whether it be recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack or cardiac arrest, learning CPR, or taking preventative care – are among the most powerful tools we have to prevent unfortunate heart-related outcomes.
Therefore, I am honored to support the American Heart Association by running the 2024 Chicago Marathon. The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, and their size and scope allow them to have significant impact across the country. In fact, they remind me that my Chicago Marathon journey is so much bigger than just my Dad or my family – this is for everyone that has supported us through this time, for everyone who has been inspired to be more proactive in their heart health, and for everyone who has shared the story of someone they know who has suffered from heart disease or stroke.
If you can donate, thank you so much for your contribution, and my family and I encourage you to get CPR-certified. If you can’t donate, we still appreciate your support and encourage you to get CPR-certified. Remember, any CPR is better than no CPR.
Let’s do this. See you at the finish line, Dad <3
