Happy Heart Weekend

The 18 th Happy Heart Weekend will take place on May 15-17.

This year, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) is on a mission to raise €750,000 to improve the care given to stroke sufferers nationwide and provide essential support to people living with disability from brain attacks.

Each year 10,000 people suffer from stroke in Ireland and of those, 2,500 lose their lives to the disease. It is estimated there are currently 30,000 people living in the community with disability from stroke. Stroke also affects the lives of more than 100,000 family members who have to live with the aftermath of death or disability.

The IHF launched the country’s first national audit of stroke care on 9 April 2008, which showed the terrible lack of stroke services in Ireland. Following this review, the IHF plans to improve care for stroke patients by providing funding for:

• Stroke research
• Clinical nursing specialists
• Development of specialist stroke unit care.

(There is currently one stroke unit in Ireland and just 12 designated stroke beds.)

• To provide information to patients and carers
• To provide information to the general public on stroke symptoms and risk factors
• To expand IHF helpline and website.

Heart badges cost €2 and will be on sale at shopping centres, pharmacies, schools and clubs on 15th, 16th and 17th May.

Posted Thursday 15th May 2008