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Stop looking for heroes … the real ones are among us

27 Sep 2018

It could be the boy next door, a colleague, a relative or a friend … people from all walks of life who have shown commitment, courage, empathy and care in relation to heart health.

On World Heart Day, we’re celebrating Heart Heroes. Everyday heroes of the heart around the world: from health professionals involved in cardiology to everyday people who have done something to look after their loved ones and their hearts.

Who is your Heart Hero?

Create your own social poster on our website and you’ll have the chance to enter our World Heart Day Awards which recognize commitment to the campaign and to heart health. The Heart Hero poster lets you add your own photo and a short statement saying what makes you, your family, friends or colleagues a Heart Hero.

There are two categories: Best Heart Hero Individual Award, celebrating the person who has made a difference to their own or others’ heart health, and Best Heart Hero Team Award, celebrating groups of people who have showed real dedication to our cause: heart health for everyone.

The World Heart Federation will judge the Awards based on the creativity and emotion captured in the posters, and the commitment and impact of your statement of what makes you a Heart Hero. Winners will be featured on our website and social media channels and will also receive a certificate recognizing their achievement.

Create your own poster here and enter the awards!

Heart Hero: Joe Moscato

Joe, a technical writer from Philips had just ended his workout session at the office facilities when, without warning, he lost consciousness and fell to the floor with Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Lucky for him, he was in the right place at the right time and the company’s emergency team did CPR and used a defibrillator on him, which gave his heart the chance to regain its rhythm.

After a few months of recovery, he went back to his active lifestyle: he kept enjoying time spent with his grandson and playing in the New England Baseball League. And then … his chance to become a Heart Hero came along. An opponent collapsed in the middle of a game and, lucky for someone else this time, Joe had brought along his Automated External Defibrillator. The machine quickly analyzed the situation and instructed them to shock the player while applying CPR. This fast action saved his life and Joe is someone who truly knows what that means.

Read Joe’s story in full and find more examples of Heart Heroes here.