With the help of their mascot, Hearty, the Jersey branch of the British Heart Foundation is going all out to encourage healthy lifestyle decisions.
HUNDREDS of runners will have seen a large red heart waving at them on the course of the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon.
Hearty, as he is known, is the mascot of the revived Jersey branch of the British Heart Foundation and he is being seen out and about at community events to remind people to look after their hearts.
Fundraising manager Summer Parkin is in charge of raising the charity’s profile in the Island.
NEXT year the Jersey branch of the BHF want to paint the Island red.
February is National Heart Month and they will be joining in with the special fundraising day, called Wear It Beat It, on Friday 5 February.
Islanders can host their own fundraising events, but the common theme is ‘red’.
Everyone is encouraged to register now in order to get a free fundraising pack filled with ideas and resources.
Click here or contact the Jersey branch.
‘One in four deaths in the Island is due to cardiovascular disease, so we’re really keen to help raise the profile and encourage healthy lifestyle decisions which prevent it, as well as fund research to help those already affected,’ she said.
‘There are so many Islanders affected by heart disease.
‘It’s not necessarily because they are unfit, it can be hereditary and it can be that they have been born with a condition they don’t know about.’
Summer says that people should go to their GP if they have any concerns about their heart health.
If there is an issue, they may be referred to the cardiac team at the hospital, led by consultant cardiologist Dr Andrew Mitchell.
Summer explained that modern cardiology practice encompassed a huge variety of medical conditions, including the care, diagnosis and management of patients with symptoms of chest pain, palpitation, breathlessness, giddiness and syncope (temporary loss of consciousness).
Dr Mitchell’s team includes associate specialist Dr Ranji Thomas, two cardiology clinical fellows and three cardiac specialist nurses.
Patients who need more complex cardiac treatment such as heart surgery are referred to the Oxford University Hospitals (for more, click here).
‘We are very fortunate to have an amazing team in place,’ Summer added.
- More than 870 outpatients were treated at Jerseys General Hospital for heart conditions in 2014
- On average, the Hospital admits four or five heart-related in-patients a week
- Ischaemic Heart Disease (reduced blood supply) is responsible for the highest number of deaths in the Island
- Every day in the UK, 440 people will die from CVD (cardiovascular disease), 480 people will go to hospital because of a heart attack, and 640 people will go to hospital because of a stroke
- A Jersey-conceived company called Heart for Life allows members of the public to determine if they have an inherited or acquired heart condition that might increase their risk of illness or death. Access to tests is via a web booking form, with tests performed at Jerseys General Hospital
- Cardiac nurses and health advisers are on hand on the BHF Heart Helpline (0300 330 3300) from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
By 2020, the British Heart Foundation aims to:
- Fund more vital research discoveries and speed up turning them into life-saving medical advances.
- Prevent more people developing CVD, by empowering people to make healthy choices.
- Ensure more people survive a heart attack or cardiac arrest through CPR.
- Ensure people living with CVD receive the best possible support, information and care.
Research, Summer says, is key.
‘The BHF are not going to stand still and wait for progress to come,’ she said.
‘We’re going to drive the fight forward by expanding our research programme, accelerating discovery, and pushing for its translation into life-saving benefits for all.
‘But in order to do this, we desperately need the support of Islanders by fundraising for us.
‘We’re fighting for every heartbeat.
‘Thanks to the public, we have made great progress.
‘With you, we’ll beat it.’
The charity is close to Summer’s heart, so to speak, as she was born with a hole in the heart.
‘To be honest, it hasn’t affected me but it was ultimately why I was interested in the charity.
‘When I was born, the valve in the heart didn’t shut the way it should, but in a couple of days it fixed itself. I’m fine.’
On average, in the UK, 12 babies are born with a heart defect every day.
Jersey has had a branch of the BHF since 1972, since when it has raised considerable sums to support research as well as equipment and staff in the Jersey Coronary Care Unit and Maternity Hospital.
In April, the branch relaunched, with Haydn Taylor as its chairman. Summer now draws on the support of about 40 volunteers, some of whom have helped organise a Halloween ball.
The Jersey branch is also working closely with the Jersey Heart Support Group, which runs fitness sessions and puts on social events, has put defibrillators in schools and has a first-response team in case an ambulance can’t get to someone in time.
- The charity is organising a Nightmare Before Halloween Ball for next Friday.
- It is being held at the Great Hall at Victoria College.
- For more information, email jersey@bhf.org.uk or call 07700 804741.
- Also, you are asked to get in touch if you have any prizes to donate for raffle or auction.
‘It’s all about the importance of looking after your heart,’ she said.
‘That’s why our main fundraisers have involved exercise, like skipping-rope challenges and dodgeball.’
120 people got involved in 2015 Dodgeball Champtionships in July, raising £3,500, and it is something that Summer wants to repeat every year.
The BHF offers a free information service for anyone seeking a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Heart Matters includes an online support community, recipe tutorials and the award-winning Heart Matters magazine – packed full of information on heart conditions and treatments, real-life stories and nutritional information.
‘We do need more refs, however,’ she said. ‘It was a really good laugh.’
And, as for Hearty, look out for him at community events year-round. Summer was in the suit for some of the marathon.
‘We were there just to cheer people on really,’ she said.
‘I had so many hugs and high-fives!
‘The marathon is such a great community event, and we want people to fill their lives with as much colour as they can.’
The Jersey branch website can be found here, or find the Jersey branch of the BHF on Facebook by searching BHF Jersey.
1. Eat healthily
Research shows that keeping to a healthy weight cuts your risk of heart disease because it helps prevent and manage conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes that put you at greater risk of coronary heart disease.
2. Quit smoking
This is the single best thing you can do for your heart health.
3. Keep moving
Physical activity can help reduce your risk of heart disease. It can also help you control your weight, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and improve your mental health. This will also reduce physical manifestations of stress. For a simple guide on getting more active, see ’10 Minutes to change your life’ on the BHF website.
4. Drink less
Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol can have a harmful effect on your heart and general health. It can cause abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, damage to your heart muscle and other diseases such as stroke, liver problems and some cancers.
How are you today?
I’m really good, thank you!
Busy running around getting ready for our Nightmare Before Halloween Ball next weekend.
We have some amazing things lined up for the evening, and I can’t wait!
Do you have any medical conditions?
Not really. I was born with a hole in my heart, which is why I was drawn to work for the British Heart Foundation in the first place.
However, I was very fortunate in that it wasn’t a serious condition and it fixed itself in due course.
It has never had an impact on my life.
Have you ever broken a bone?
I fractured my knee when I was little and none of my family believed me, until we got an X-ray!
And I’m sure I’ve broken the odd toe here or there, but nothing serious.
What do you do to keep fit?
I play netball with the awesome Accies (all girls) and Rastas (mixed boys and girls team), I love going for a good run or jogatunity (the opportunity to go jogging…) and have vowed to go sea swimming every month of the year. I also love dancing when no one is watching.
What’s your diet like?
Pretty good. I’m fortunate enough to have an amazing chef as a fiancé, so that has its perks.
What can you not resist, much as you try?
Red wine or spiced rum. I’m actually making my own spiced rum at the moment.
How do you treat a cold?
Depends what kind of cold it is.
Sometimes you’re best not giving it a chance to settle in, so I dose up on Lemsip and go for a run to sweat it out.
Other times, sleep, nutritious food and maybe a little help from the doctor goes a long way.
Are you a pessimist or an optimist?
OPTIMIST!
Do you sleep well?
I love sleeping. But sometimes my dreams are filled with endless lists of things to do.
What do you do to escape?
Go for a run, somewhere outside with a glorious scenic view where I can take in a big deep breath and appreciate where I’m at.
Do you have any phobias?
Not so much of a phobia. I’m not the biggest fan of flying, but I would never let it prevent me doing something.
Do you smoke?
No.
What do you do that you know is bad for you?
Drink all the wine.
What do you think of alternative remedies?
I think it’s down to personal choice and what the remedy is for.
Some people are more in-tune and responsive to alternative remedies than others; nature is a powerful thing and I wish I was more into alternative remedies, but with bigger health issues the tried, tested and proven remedies of science often win me over.
How long would you like to live?
‘Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing’ (Seneca).
I want to fill my life with as many colours as possible and know that when the time comes, I’ve achieved all I was meant to achieve, loved and been there for all who are dear to me, seized the day and that I’ve had a blast doing it.
