Unfortunately, all too many families have suffered from the devastating effects of heart disease and stroke – the number one and number three killers of both men and women in the United States.

In their tireless fight against cardiovascular disease and stroke, the people at the American Heart Association (AHA) work hard to raise funds and provide grants for research and education. In the last year alone, they were able to award $23.2 million to universities and hospitals in California, Nevada, and Utah. Local grant recipients include Stanford, UCSF, UC Berkeley, Gladstone Institute in San Francisco, and Children's Hospital in Oakland.

In order to get communities involved in the fight again heart disease, the AHA puts on events like the Heart Walks. Help put the "fun" in fundraising by encouraging your family to participate in the Heart Walk at Coyote Point in Burlingame on Sunday, September 20th, 2009.

The kid-friendly festivities start at 9am with a bounce house and live music courtesy of "Men Behaving Loudly;" attendees are then invited to participate in an optional one or three-mile walk, which begins at 10am. Past trails have offered scenic points of interest including the harbor and views of the bay. The walk is pleasant; cool breezes rustling through giant Eucalyptus trees guide you along. The journey ends at the playground at Coyote Park, a fun reward for a morning spent helping others, while also getting some exercise.

At the Heart of the Matter

Although Sue Cissna received a vital part of her training as a paramedic through the AHA, she had no idea how the AHA would eventually play an even greater role in her family’s life.

In 2003 Cissna suffered complications while expecting her twin boys, Tony and Tommy. “I remember that the tech spent a lot of time on Tony at our ultrasound,” she remembered. “When the doctor came in we found out that he had a rare congenital heart defect known as TGA or Transposition of the Great Arteries, where the two major arteries that oxygenate the heart and the blood are reversed.

“They told us that Tony would have to have immediate open heart surgery at birth or he would die.” As soon as the twins were delivered, Tony was placed on a ventilator while an echocardiogram was performed to confirm his condition.

Within two hours, Tony received the Rashkinds procedure, also known as Atria Septostomy to help stabilize him. “They placed a catheter in his leg and pushed it up to his heart, where it penetrated his atria and blew up a balloon before pulling it back. This created a tear in his heart where the blood was able to flow through, increasing the oxygenation Tony needed,” Cissna explained.

Four days later, Tony underwent an open heart surgery known as an Arterial Switch. Despite complications he survived thanks to the “mechanical heart” he was placed on during the procedure. This heart-lung bypass machine was developed by Dr. Forest Dodrill and GM research in 1952.

The Rashkinds procedure and the ‘mechanical heart’, both key interventions that saved Tony Cissna’s life, were funded by the AHA. “We cannot express how grateful we are to the American Heart Association,” said Cissna, now a spokesperson and volunteer for the AHA.

Julie Wynn, Fundraising and Event Coordinator for Electronic Arts in Redwood Shores, has hosted the Heart Walk on the EA campus for the last six years. “We became involved because we wanted to recognize one of our employees who had a heart attack and passed away. It was a very personal cause. He was in his 40s and was an Information Technology person. He knew everyone because he traveled around. He was our motivation,” explained Wynn.

The Heart Walk on the EA campus in Redwood Shores takes place on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009. Festivities, including local entertainment and music, begin at 11am; the walk begins at noon.

Recently, Electronic Arts was named a fit-friendly company by the AHA. “We offer fit-friendly food choices and options for walking around the campus. We also have access to trails that employees can use while at work. I think our association with Club One, our onsite fitness center, and all the fitness classes that are offered to our employees have really helped us as well,” Wynn added.

Families who are unable to attend the Heart Walk at Coyote Point on Sunday, September 20th, 2009 in Burlingame may want to consider the Heart Walk at Electronic Arts on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 in Redwood Shores.

For more information about either event, visit www.heartwalksmc.org or call Pam O'Neil at (650)259-6807.