Group Aims to Raise Awareness about Heart Health through "My Climb," a Virtual Learning Experience
LANCASTER, PA– Proving there can be life after heart disease, cardiac survivor, InnerLink CEO, and co-founder of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, Robert G. Gillio, M.D. conceived My Climb, an ascent of Tanzania's highest peak that is coupled with a virtual learning experience to raise awareness of the leading cause of death in the United States. The expedition hopes to not only elevate awareness of heart disease, but also educate school-age adolescents and their families that by making healthy choices they can reduce their risks of developing childhood obesity now and getting heart disease in the future.
The participating cardiac survivors are challenging
themselves and others to reflect on the gift of health. At 79 years of
age, Paul Magelli, Sr., PhD, an InnerLink board member, will be one of the oldest men
attempting to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Dr. Magelli’s first cardiac event
occurred when he was 42, the same year his twin brother died of a heart attack.
Nearly two years ago at 54 years of age, Dr. Gillio was out for a leisurely
walk, when he found himself winded and in surgery less than 12 hours later
having a stent implanted due to a proximal left anterior descending coronary
artery of the heart -- otherwise known as the ‘widow maker.’
"Heart health is one of the most serious issues in the United States, but most risk factors [of heart disease] can be eliminated by making one healthy choice at a time," says Dr. Gillio. "Climbing Kilimanjaro will be hard, but we want to show people that there is life after cardiac disease. It’s so important for kids to have good information on nutrition and physical activity, so they can make healthy choices today that will help them from never having to experience heart disease..”
Dr. Gillio’s message is simple: eat right, exercise, and learn how to save a life through CPR and AED training. Through My Climb, he is delivering a fun and altruistic message to students about the importance of heart rate, daily diet and exercise, and monitoring these indicators so that they and their families can live longer, healthier lives. And by taking simple steps to be ready, willing and able to act in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, which kills 300,000 people each year, students can create a generation of life savers.
“It's exciting for me. I know that everyone can make changes in their lives to reduce their risk of cardiac disease,” said Dr. Rob. “I want to inspire people to make the right choices that can change their lives. We can be a healthier nation if we simply Learn it! Live it! and Share it! And that’s what My Climb is designed to do—help empower students to become health advocates in their community to be a force for health.”
About My Climb
My Climb is a grassroots effort sponsored by InnerLink, to
raise awareness about heart health among school-age children and
adolescents. As the group of cardiac survivors climbs Tanzania's Mt.
Kilimanjaro, students are invited to participate virtually and identify
their own health "mountain," while learning to make healthy life
choices. Five base camps provide resources and markers along the
way. Base Five, for example, features information from the Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Foundation on how to save a life threatened by sudden cardiac arrest, plus stories of survival -- and loss. Students make a goal, plan and track their
results, and share what they have learned with others.
By joining My Climb, educators can use free Student Health Force resources to follow the actual climb live online and perform their own virtual climb to help students learn about nutrition, fitness, tobacco avoidance, health literacy and lifesaving skills. As students climb to each online base camp they will:
- Learn it! Through online tutorials and activities.
- Live it! By tracking their “minutes in motion” and progress up the mountain with a 50 hour goal.
- Share it! Through advocacy activities such as posters, letters, music and videos where they can also WIN IT!
The actual climb runs through January 12, 2010 and the virtual climb runs through April 30, 2011. Visit www.myclimb.org for more details.
About InnerLink
Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, InnerLink, Inc., is a health and wellness company combining information technology with an impressive set of content to influence, support and document outcomes that prevent disease and promote health. Historically, the business is best known for its development and marketing of a coordinated school health portal which includes electronic student health records and online health curriculum as part of its core offering. The company also creates innovative, custom solutions for clients to enhance its core product mix and capability. For more information, visit www.theinnerlink.com.
About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its mission is to raise awareness and save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. For more information, visit http://sca-aware.org, join the You Can Save a Life group on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/youcansavealife and ‘Like’ us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/youcansavealife. For information specific to schools, visit http://www.sca-aware.org/schools.
CONTACTS:
Cathy Hoffman (for Innerlink)
717-381-4282, toll free (866) 522-5487
choffman [at] theinnerlink.com
Carissa Caramanis O’Brien (for Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation)
978-875-2020
carissa.obrien [at] sca-aware.org