Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Youth Talk Coming to Ohio University Lancaster on February 11

Learn about the causes of sudden cardiac arrest in youth and what you can do to help a child in need.

Lancaster, OH, February 09, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Each year in the United States 350,000 Americans die suddenly and unexpectedly due to cardiac arrhythmias. Alarmingly, nearly 4,000 of those are under the age of 35. This condition can run in families and can be hidden until it is too late.

At Fairfield Medical Center, a group of concerned staff members decided to do something to help protect the community against this life-threatening condition. The staff joined forces with some patients, families and other interested community members to form the Snider Community Heart Watch, a task force focused on community education.

The Snider Community Heart Watch will be hosting its first community event, a talk on Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Youth, on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Ohio University Lancaster in conjunction with the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS) Foundation and Boston Scientific. The free talk will run from 9:30 -11 a.m. and is being targeted to parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, healthcare personnel and any interested community members.

“We felt that something needed to be done to protect our community,” said Bob Williams, supervisor of the Catheterization Lab at FMC and Snider Community Heart Watch committee member.

An internationally renowned expert on the subject, Dr. Michael J. Ackerman, is coming from the Mayo Clinic to provide the keynote message. “Knowing the warning signs has a tremendous impact on saving lives,” Dr. Ackerman noted. Dr. Ackerman is a pediatric cardiologist and director of the Long QT Syndrome/Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic at the Mayo Clinic. He is also a leader in sudden cardiac arrest research. At the talk he will focus on early detection and the steps that can be taken to help a child in need.

Also speaking at the event will be Dr. Douglas Pope, FMC medical staff president. He will focus on the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), giving his own account of how this condition affects our community. “My hope is for people to leave the presentation with a sense of responsibility to help those in need and do what it takes to save lives.”

Community participants also will have an opportunity to hear Misty Morrison, SCA survivor and Lancaster resident, tell her story along with Clint Birkholz. Birkholz, a Columbus resident, will recount the day his 9-year-old daughter went into sudden cardiac arrest while swimming in a pool.

No registration is required. For more information, call (740) 689-6893 or go to fmchealth.org.

Fairfield Medical Center
401 North Ewing Street
Lancaster, Ohio 43130
www.fmchealth.org

Contact: Donna Stalter
Public Relations Specialist
(740) 687-8108
donnas@fmchealth.org

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SADS Foundation
Laura Wall, Vice President
801-641-7148
www.StopSADS.org
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