Tag Archives: heart attack

reese marlenee

Teen Survives Heart Attack and Urges Classmates to Learn CPR

Nearly nine months ago, first responders saved Reese Marlenee’s young life.

Last week, thankful to be alive, Marlenee welcomed rescuers to her high school to teach students the same lifesaving skills that saved hers.

“It’s important that everybody knows CPR, no matter how old they are,” said Marlenee, watching Valley Regional Fire Authority firefighters and paramedics teach teens the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 10-minute stations scattered over the gymnasium floor at Auburn Mountainview High School. “It’s important to learn how to do CPR, because I’m 16 and I had a heart attack. You can be 80 or you can be 1 (and) have a heart attack.”

The Nov. 27 heart-awareness event was Marlenee’s DECA class project, and her opportunity to give something back. The VRFA, as it does for communities throughout its jurisdiction, welcomed the invitation, and joined Marlenee to organize the program.

“For her to recover the way that she did and to have the ability and the maturity to put on an event like this speaks a lot about her character,” said VRFA Capt. Ryan Freed, who kept three morning sessions of work stations rotating on time. “It would be really hard for someone her age to be able to reflect back on something like that. It’s trauma, and to actually to put herself out there and be vulnerable for the betterment of fellow students says a lot about her.”

Marlenee has come a long way since March 5 when she collapsed poolside at water polo practice and went into cardiac arrest. Her coach, Jenni Pritchard, and the Auburn School District pool’s well-trained lifeguards quickly came to the fallen girl’s aid, called 911. and methodically performed two-person CPR until emergency personnel arrived within minutes to relieve them.

Medics rushed Marlenee to Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Hospital in 23 minutes.

Three days later, Marlenee underwent six hours of corrective surgery at Seattle Children’s hospital, where doctors discovered she had a heart defect, a condition called ALCAPA (anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery) syndrome. It is a rare, congenital coronary artery anomaly that may cause dangerously poor cardiac function.

“Without CPR, she most likely would not be with us today,” said her mother, Jessica.

This Sunday, with the help of medicine, and the strong support of family and friends, Marlenee celebrates her 17th birthday.

Read the full article here: https://www.auburn-reporter.com/news/without-missing-a-beat/

heart health

Heart Attack Recovery: Foods to Eat and Avoid

After surviving from a heart attack, the first though that comes in mind is to change the lifestyle. Healthy eating, exercise and stress-free routine are the basic needs of a post heart attack person. But usually people don’t know how to customize their meal plan. Here we are mentioning some of the foods to eat and avoid after a heart attack.

  1. 1.) Avoid foods fried in saturated fats. As an alternative you can use stir fried foods in unsaturated fats like vegetable oil or nuts oil
  2. 2.) Do not eat processed meat such as hot dogs and sausages. Instead of these you can use chicken or turkey meat.
  3. 3.) Stay away from desserts and sweets containing milk chocolate and sugar. For chocolate items you can use dark chocolate which contains more antioxidants good for you health.
  4. 4.) Say no to baked items such as cakes and pastries containing white sugar and plain flour. As an alternative you can bake food for yourself containing natural sugar and whole grains.
  5. 5.) Do not use salad dressings, cream sauces and ketchup that contain sugar and saturated fatty acids. Instead you can make your own homemade ketchup and dressings without sugar and high fat dairy products.
  6. 6.) Avoid salted nuts and snacks. You can opt for unsalted ones in limited quantity.
  7. 7.) Cut back on sugary soda and fizzy drinks. As a replacement you can add fruits to your water or drink fresh homemade juices without sugar and preservatives. Reduce your intake of coffee, tea and alcohol and drink more water daily.
  8. 8.) Avoid take-aways like pizza, hamburgers, chips, fried potatoes, pasta and noodles etc. Replace fatty red meat with the lean meat or white meat in your food.
  9. 9.) Avoid processed foods. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits daily and go for wholegrain cereals, breads, rice and pasta etc.
  10. 10.) Include legumes, egg and fish in your food and replace them with high fat dairy products.

Making heart-healthy changes to lifestyle can help you live strong and vibrant for many years without the thought of having another heart attack. Taking care of yourself after a heart attack is very important. Eating right, avoiding stress and daily exercises and basic lifestyle modifications that can help you a great deal in this regard.