ChristyBassman.com

In Memory of Russell Bassman:
Please consider donating to raise awareness of and help prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Donating through this link is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

50% of men over the age of 40 are affected by Coronary Atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease).

For 50% of those men, the first sign that anything is wrong will be sudden death from cardiac arrest. (source: WebMD)

After menopause, women rapidly catch up with men and face the same risk.

Heart disease cannot be reliably detected by stethoscope, EKGs, or blood pressure monitoring. Many people never experience any symptoms. The only reliable way to assess your risk is to talk to your doctor, and have them evaluate your risk with the necessary tests (usually an echocardiogram and cholesterol test). If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones.

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anytime, anywhere. You can be running a marathon, or resting at home. You may be 70 years old, or 25. Once sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the best chance for survival is immediate CPR and use of an AED. Portable AEDs are now becoming more commonplace, but work remains to be done to raise awareness of these lifesaving devices.

Many thanks for your support, and the time you took to read this. Heart disease affects everybody we love in some manner.