Keep the Beat: A Challenge for the American Heart Association

The heart is a small organ, but it plays the lead role in the normal functioning of the body. The moment it stops beating, the connection to life ends. Unfortunately, someone dies about every 38 seconds in the United States due to heart complications.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 40 seconds, someone in the country suffers a heart attack. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the US and worldwide. It claims the lives of more than 647,000 Americans each year, and is responsible for one in every four deaths.

While these numbers are intimidating, heart disease can often be prevented with the right lifestyle. The American Heart Association is the largest non-profit organization dedicated to combating heart disease and encouraging individuals to focus on heart health through things such as diet, exercise, and approved treatment. Harrity 4 Charity is a proud partner of the American Heart Association and is working to educate communities on how they can prevent heart disease, while helping those already battling with this universal killer, through a unique campaign called the Keep the Beat Challenge.

Keep the Beat Challenge: Origin

The Keep the Beat challenge is the brainchild of John Harrity, the managing partner of Harrity & Harrity, LLP and founder of Harrity 4 Charity. In 2016, John suffered one of the worst types of heart attack, the “widow-maker.” As the name denotes, the chances of surviving a widow-maker are very slim and John’s path to recovery was a difficult one.

John’s condition got worse before it got better; bleeding in the lungs sent him into respiratory distress, which eventually resulted in multiple organ failure. He spent three weeks in a coma, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. His doctor said his chances of survival were a million to one.

Miraculously, after spending a total of eight weeks in the ICU, John survived; no doubt thanks to his heart-healthy lifestyle. His incredible rehabilitation motivated John not to let this experience go to waste. Thus, it laid the foundation of Harrity 4 Charity and the Keep the Beat Challenge.

Participate in the Keep the Beat Challenge

The giving back initiative kicked off in February in alignment with American Heart Month – a federal program designed to raise awareness about heart disease. The mission of the challenge is to spread awareness about cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment while getting hearts beating through whatever means participants decide to keep the beat.

The American Heart Association has invested more than $4 billion in research for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease and its prevention, but the organization still needs your support to reduce the high mortality rate by heart diseases and stroke in the US. Your donation can help keep the beat going. All funds raised through the challenge go directly to the American Heart Association to fight for longer, healthier lives. Donate now by texting “KEEPTHEBEAT” to 41444 or visiting the Keep the Beat Challenge heart.org webpage.

You can participate in the challenge by recording a short video of yourself keeping a beat and posting it on social media with the hashtag #keepthebeat and challenging at least three others to keep the beat going. Whether you want to dance, rap, sing, walk, jump, bounce, or play while promoting the message, the choice is yours. In doing so, we hope your video will motivate your community to understand the importance of heart health and generate much needed support for the American Heart Association. Heart month may be over, but the fight against heart disease is not.

 

About Harrity 4 Charity

Harrity 4 Charity represents a partnering of law firm Harrity & Harrity, LLP, with charities that are near and dear to our hearts. Harrity partners pledge to give five percent of profits to partner charities and all Harrity employees pledge to donate a portion of their paychecks. Harrity & Harrity is a patent preparation and prosecution firm specializing in the electrical and mechanical technology areas and is considered a Go-To Firm for the Patent 300™. Our clients have come to trust in our high-quality work, experienced people, industry leading innovation, and outstanding service. For more information, visit harrityllp.com.