Ep8 (part 2) - Lessons Learned from Addressing Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young, the Founders of Parent Heart Watch

The Pursuit of Health Podcast

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In Part 2 of this episode of The Pursuit of Health Podcast - in a co-branded session with Parent Heart Watch, the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation and the Dominic Murray 21 Memorial Foundation - Dr. Fethke continues his discussion with three thought leaders and pioneers who have spent the past two decades addressing the recognition and prevention of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death, particularly in the young.

Dr. Fethke welcomes three guests at once to inform our audience about this very important and often under recognized topic -

-Martha Lopez-Anderson: Executive Director of Parent Heart Watch (PHW)

-Karen Acompora: Founder & President of the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation & Board Chair of PHW

-Melinda Murray: Founder & President of the Dominic Murray 21 Memorial Foundation & Board Secretary of PHW

(Together Melinda Murray’s and Karen Acompora’s Foundations combine their efforts as Heart Screen New York).

On this episode our guests continue to inform us about the hurdles they continue to face and have overcome in their work to combat SCA/SCD. They celebrate their landmark successes and give us a glimpse into the future of the national effort they are leading to create a mandatory Registry of the incidence of SCA/SCD and research into the impact of adding an ECG to the screening process to identify those at risk for SCA.

PHW is now in every state - 100 communities nationwide and has touched lives of >1 million youth. They hold and sponsor and ANNUAL CONFERENCE that highlights their efforts to

1. Focus - Awareness of SCA(entity and incidence)
2. Educate every one regarding Early Detection(warning signs and screenings)
3. Promotes Chain of Survival training and Cardiac Emergency Response planning where children live, play and learn
4. Advances the presence and proper use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
5. Establish a mandatory and systematic Registry of SCA/SCD incidence

Our guests emphasize that the success of their work is due to a philosophy of collaboration amongst people and institutions with different skill sets all coming together for a common cause. Their guiding force is nothing less than the Love of a parent or family.

If character is defined not by what one does when everything is going well, but rather by how we respond when life throws us unexpected tragedies, then the character of our three guests must be seen as amongst the most noble.They have traveled from the darkest depths of human loss to the highest heights in the service of others. Their response to sudden cardiac death serves as an example for all of us to follow. They give us Hope as we forge ahead to tackle the many other health and social problems through our healthcare system together.

In our next episode we look forward to a discussion with author, thought leader and pioneer, Dr. Maya Shetreat, where we discuss that getting a little messy may actually be beneficial to our health and well-being.

To Learn More, Please Visit:
https://parentheartwatch.org/
https://heartscreennewyork.com/
https://la12.org/
https://www.domheart21.org/

You can follow Dr. Eric Fethke on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok @drfethkemd
(This episode is also available in video format on Youtube @drfethkemd).

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