The Latest Mikey Network News

Congratulations to the 2016 Mikey Network Award Recipients

,
2016 Mikey Network Award at Ryerson University School of Nutrition

Faculty member Dan Mahoney, presented the 2016 Mikey Network Award in Nutritional Sciences to recipients Teodora Nikova and Adam Weinmann.

Congratulations to Teodora Nikova and Adam Weinmann, the 2016 Mikey Network Award recipients at the Ryerson University School of Nutrition!

Each year The Mikey Network awards a scholarship grant for students at the Ryerson University School of Nutrition, to recognize academic excellence and a commitment to the promotion of nutrition to prevent chronic heart diseases.

This year Teodora Nikova and Adam Weinmann, received grants in the amount of $1690.00 to use toward their tuition.

Congratulations, Teodora and Adam! Go make the world a healthier place.

Teen Reunited With First Responders That Saved His Life

teen reunited with first responders that saved his life

Mike Barrett/Metroland

In September, 13 year old Aurora student, Luke Pignatelli, collapsed in gym class at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School.

CYFS firefighters Andrew Burdette, Lucas Chew, and Darryl Noble, along with acting Capt. Andre Bourrie, responded to the 911 call, and found Luke without a pulse. The firefighters used CPR and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to revive him.

York Region paramedics Laura Rimmer, Ryan Minke and Paul McPhail arrived, continued to use advanced life support skills and transported Luke to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. Luke later had an internal defibrillator implanted in his chest, and is now doing well. 

Since the incident, we’ve provided Luke a MIKEY (portable defibrillator) through our Mikey’s Kids Program, and the entire Pignatelli family has taken a life-saving course through The Mikey Network.

On Tuesday, November 1st, Luke was reunited with the first responders that saved his life. “I don’t know what to say other than thank you,” Pignatelli said. “I feel safe knowing there are people who know what to do and are willing to save lives.”

“There are no words to express the gratitude we have for the firefighters and paramedics that were there that day,” his mother, Nicole, said. “They saved our son’s life and he is still here with us today.”

York Region Paramedic Services Superintendent Terry Chomski, said it is events such as this that bring to light the need for everyone to be trained in CPR and using an AED. “Any member of the public can learn and they should,” he said. We couldn’t agree more!

Luke is now considering a career in fire services.

To read the full story by Teresa Latchford , please visit YorkRegion.com

 

We Have A Winner!

Winner of Mikey Young At Heart App referral contest

We’re proud to announce the winner of our Mikey Young At Heart App referral contest. We wanted a fun way to help the students who have already used the App, get the word out. To enter, participants used our form to tell their friends about using the App to earn volunteer hours while learning about CPR/AED.

The winer of the new iPad Air, is Ahmad Almawi! We asked Ahmad why he wanted to tell his friends about the Mikey Young At Heart App. Here is what he had to say:

The Mikey Young at Heart APP was a very valuable experience for me. It’s a simple and meaningful way to learn CPR and AED, and I learned a lot from it. The videos were very instructional and were great resources to learn from.

I feel confident that I’ll be able to help someone suffering from cardiac arrest if necessary. This feeling of being able to help was one of the key reasons why I took the course in the first place, and is why I’ll take it again in the upcoming school year. The videos can be viewed at any time, and the assessments weren’t tricky once I got the hang of it.

I’ve recommend using the Mikey Young at Heart App to a couple of friends, and I’ll definitely recommend it to more. Thanks a lot for teaching me something important!

Congratulations Ahmad!

A Group of Parents Fighting Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Student Athletes

The Today Show, featured a group of parents who are fighting Sudden Cardiac Arrest in teen athletes. Part of their “Winning At All Costs” series, the story focuses on some of the risks and dangers facing young athletes.

Jenna Bush Hager speaks to a group of parents who formed Parents Heart Watch, and have a mission similar to ours here at The Mikey Network- to save kids’ lives in memory of the children they lost to sudden cardiac arrest during sports activities. It “can happen to any child,” one parent warns – but the chance of surviving it rises dramatically if an automated external defibrillator is nearby and accessible.

We know all too well about the importance of having MIKEYs (Defibrillators) in schools. So far three teenaged students and an adult have been saved with a MIKEY placed at a school through our Mikey Young At Heart program. We support the work of Parent Hart Watch and all the groups out there raising awareness about the importance of AEDs.

Please watch this important story:

10 Doctor Recommendations for Heart Health

Mikey Heart Health

It sometimes seems like the information in news articles about health recommendations change weekly. Do you find it hard to keep up? Here are just a few recommendations we’ve come across recently:

  • Doctors recommend eating about 25 grams of fibre every day to improve heart health. Are you getting that much?
  • Moderate your intake of alcohol. Guidelines by Health Canada suggest a limit of two drinks per day. How many drinks are you consuming?
  • How many hours of sleep do you get each night? Doctors recommend at least eight hours for optimal heart health. Are you meeting that goal?
  • Doctors say you should exercise at least two and a half hours every week. Are you able to fit that into your weekly routine?
  • When exercising, chose physical activities that you’ll really enjoy. You’ll be more likely to stick with it.
  • Health care practitioners tell us to make exercise a daily habit. Even if you can’t exercise for two and a half hours every week, start small. Even a brisk 20 minute walk can improve heart health.
  • How many of you sit at a desk all day? If you can’t exercise every day, even two 10-minute breaks for a stretch and walk around the office can improve heart health.
  • Always forgetting to take those two 10-minute walks? Even something as simple as consistently taking the stairs versus the elevator or escalator is a great way to add a little bit of exercise into your daily routine.
  • We hear from doctors all the time that strong social support networks help lower the risk of heart disease. Are you making time for friends and family?
  • Did you know laughter is an important factor in relieving stress that can cause heart disease? It’s true! Make it a point to read or watch something every day that makes you laugh without fail.

These are just a few of the recommendations we’ve read about lately. How many doctor’s orders are you following?