WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AstraZeneca, in continued partnership with Bob Harper, a health and fitness expert, best-selling author and heart attack survivor, today announced the expansion of the Survivors Have Heart movement, taking its mission across the United States to unite heart attack survivors nationwide and elevate the importance of daily heart health management. The expansion will include new online communities, heart healthy tips and resources for survivors by survivors and a local community tour. The tour will kick off with a stop in Tampa, Florida, on June 5th, connecting local survivors with Bob Harper to share stories of strength and resilience. Further, the Survivors Have Heart initiative will bring together cardiovascular patient advocacy organizations, healthcare providers, policymakers and other community leaders to celebrate survivorship and champion the importance of cardiovascular health as part of a long-term healthy lifestyle.
As part of the Survivors Have Heart program expansion, AstraZeneca unveiled MySurvivorStory.com that provides local heart attack survivors the opportunity to share their stories for the chance to be selected to attend exclusive story sharing events with Bob Harper and other survivors in Tampa, FL; Charlotte, NC; and San Antonio, TX. Each event will offer an intimate sit-down conversation with Bob Harper and fellow heart attack survivors, as well as uniquely curated experiences that celebrate survivorship.
Additionally, the initiative launched the Survivors Have Heart Facebook Community, which will share updates about the movement with engaging content and new patient stories during its stops around the country. The community will also serve as an inspiring forum for survivors to share understanding and encouragement, personal triumphs and support – and include information on creating a personalized plan after a heart attack with your healthcare team.
Bob Harper said, “Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to share my story with fellow heart attack survivors, advocates and legislators, but it’s not just my story that deserves to be heard. The power of this movement is in our shared experience reminding survivors that there is life after a heart attack. Through Survivors Have Heart, I’m excited to offer a platform and forum for others like me to share their stories as we look to not only impact our own emotional wellness, but inspire the leaders in our communities to unite and provide the support needed for those recovering from a heart attack.”
Over 8 million people are part of the heart attack survivor community in the United States.1 Surviving a heart attack can be an overwhelming and isolating experience, and the initial focus is often on the physical recovery with little emphasis on the emotional impact. While the journey after a heart attack is different for everyone, with the support of communities like Survivors Have Heart, survivors don’t have to go through it alone.
Alex Dyer, Executive Director, Cardiovascular at AstraZeneca said, “We see first-hand the feelings of fear and vulnerability that heart attack survivors so often experience and are dedicated to supporting and instilling hope amongst the survivor community through expanding Survivors Have Heart across the country. We are proud to play an active role in uniting survivors and building a community, and we are excited to continue our important work together helping to support and empower survivors and their loved ones.”
Visit www.SurvivorsHaveHeart.com to access tools and resources such as tips from Bob Harper on finding confidence and perspective after having a heart attack, creating a personalized plan with a care team and other heart healthy lifestyle information.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Survivors Have Heart
Survivors Have Heart
is a national movement that uses the power of patient stories to engage
heart attack survivors and their loved ones, while supporting those who
may be at risk of another heart attack. The program launched in November
2017 with an essay contest and opportunity for five heart attack
survivors and their caregivers to travel to New York City for a
three-day event to meet with Bob Harper, a health and fitness expert,
best-selling author and heart attack survivor, share their personal
stories about the emotional and physical journey after a heart attack,
and celebrate survivorship. The event was filled with heartfelt
discussions and inspiring lessons, where lifelong connections were made
with other heart attack survivors. This year, Survivors Have Heart
is expanding to bring the movement to local communities across the
United States, uniting local heart attack survivors and Bob Harper to
share their stories of strength and resilience in an effort to educate
and inspire others. If you or someone you know has suffered a recent
heart attack, submit your survivorship story at MySurvivorStory.com.
For more tools and resources, visit www.SurvivorsHaveHeart.com
or the Survivors Have Heart Facebook
Community Page.
About Bob Harper
As a health and fitness expert and a
best-selling author, Bob Harper inspired audiences nationwide to get
fit. He was the picture of health. Bob Harper never considered that a
heart attack could happen to him. In February 2017, Bob was working out,
as he did each day, when he lost consciousness. He woke up two days
later and learned he’d had a near-fatal heart attack and had gone into
cardiac arrest. He had to be shocked three times by an automated
external defibrillator (AED) device to restart his heart. His heart
attack forever changed his life, and with a commitment to his emotional
and physical recovery, he has since focused on getting his life, health
and fitness back on track. As part of that recovery, he partnered with
AstraZeneca to share his story and bring together fellow heart attack
survivors to do the same, creating Survivors Have Heart.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led
biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and
commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment
of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal &
Metabolism and Respiratory. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries
and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com
and follow us on Twitter @AstraZenecaUS.
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Benjamin EJ, Muntner P, Alonso A, et al, on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2019;139:e1-e473. | ||
US-28867 Last Updated 5/19
