Mended Hearts – a Support Group for all!
Shocking statistic: About 130 heart attacks and 240 strokes occur
daily in SA!
Cardiovascular disease is a disease
of the lifestyle which can affect
people of all ages and backgrounds.
The Mended Hearts Support Group was established by the Heart and Stroke
Foundation SA (HSFSA) in 2006 with the goal to provide a meeting place for
people who have experienced a cardiovascular event, and has since been extended
to include their supporting family members and friends, and members of the
public who are interested in learning more about heart disease and stroke.
Mended Hearts aims to give educational support and advice to survivors, in an effort
to prevent a second event from occurring. In Cape Town, Mended Hearts meetings are
attended by 30 to 40 people on a monthly basis, aged between 25 to 80 years.
The HSFSA assists members through the recovery process by inviting speakers,
ranging from Cardiologists, Occupational Therapists, Neurologists and
Dieticians, to present on relevant health topics eg. stroke prevention and recovery;
managing high blood pressure and cholesterol; learning CPR and how to handle
medical emergencies; open heart bypass surgery demonstration; stress management;
living with diabetes; shopping and cooking the heart healthy way. Members are
also invited to social evenings which often take the form of feedback sessions.
To date, over 500 people in the Cape Town area have benefited
from this support group, and we plan on increasing our footprint nationally and
assisting thousands more individuals. In 2010, we helped to launch a MeloHearts Support Group in Rylands, Cape Town in association
with the Melomed Hospital Holdings,. Much recently we established a Mended Hearts Support Group in
Westville, Durban. Mended Hearts Support Groups are also located in Gauteng and
Port Elizabeth.
If you would like more
information on how you can join Mended
Hearts or support this initiative, please contact Lauren Pietersen on 021 403 6450
or lauren@heartfoundation.co.za
Join us at Mended Hearts and
prevent yourself from becoming a statistic!
For more information contact: Murishca Nayar-Martheze, Communications Officer, the Heart and Stroke
Foundation SA - +27-21-403 6450 - email: murishca@heartfoundation.co.za.
The
Heart and Stroke Foundation SA
The Heart and Stroke
Foundation South Africa is a community-based organisation established to reduce
the incidence of heart disease and stroke in the population of South Africa by
providing education and supporting vital research. For further information
visit www.heartfoundation.co.za
