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AHA honors those who save heart attack victims

By Ed Lowe Senior Writer

The American Heart Association (AHA) celebrated Valentine’s Day in its own, very appropriate way. They declared Feb. 5 to be American Heartsaver Day and presented 34 awards to people, organizations and municipalities whose efforts have been directed at saving lives. Of particular interest are those who, through the use or promotion of CPR (Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation) and AED (Automated External Defibrillator), have improved the chances of a heart attack victim surviving the attack. Of 18 awards to individuals, the AHA drew special attention to Roger Ramirez, an immigration officer at O’Hare, who, together with an unnamed visiting firefighter, saved the life of a man who had a heart attack at the airport. “The American Heart Association is proud to honor both the heroes and the survivors of sudden cardiac arrest on American Heartsaver Day,” said Robert Bonow, M.D., president of the American Heart Association’s Chicago Board of Directors. “These individuals are ordinary people who use a few simple skills to achieve something extraordinary—they saved lives. Today, these American Heartsavers are heroes, but all Chicagoland residents can easily become tomorrow’s Heartsavers by knowing to call 9-1-1 and being ready to perform CPR and use an AED.”

Among the honorees at a breakfast held at Maggiano’s Little Italy Restaurant on N. Clark St. were David Cooke, M.D., who is the Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Lutheran General Hospital, and Carolyn Schoenberger, Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, both of whom were honored for their continuing efforts to promote knowledge of the means by which lives can be saved. According to the American Heart Association, more than 95 percent of Americans who suffer sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching the hospital—which equates to 220,000 deaths annually. The AHA estimates that at least 50,000 lives could be saved each year if the national cardiac arrest survival rate could be increased from the current five percent to 20 percent or higher. One means of doing this is by having an educational program to instruct more people in the use of CPR and AED.