2010 a Great Year and a great article in D Magazine!

Zachary Schrah makes D Magazine's Collin County Medical Directory, and things couldn't be going better for Living for Zachary.

We are in the finalizing stages of the HeartBeats Gala to be held in February 2011 and now with the article that we had with D Magazine, we are getting closer and closer to reaching so many goals and spread awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. As we approach February, the month of Zachary's birthday - we are thrilled to be able to have reached so many people through the Living for Zachary Events, various publications, media and just plain hard work. We are thankful to have had such a wonderful 2010!

Living for Zachary held so many successful events this year. Some of our events this year were the 2nd Annual 5k/10k/1 Mile Living For Zachary Heart Run. The Heart Run was held on Saturday, October 23, 2010. We had a great turn out at the Fishing for Hearts Fishing Tournament - Minnow Bucket Marina on Lake Fork on September 4, 2010 and the Living for Zachary Golf Tournament - June 21, 2010 at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, TX was the biggest success ever!

We appeared in the Daily Texan and appeared on WFAA with a great article regarding SCA testing. "Grieving Student's Mom On Mission To Save Others" NBCDFW - Sept. 20, 2010. We made our point in the Plano Profile.com Feb, 2010 and also appeared on Good Morning Texas Feb 4, 2010. Last but not least the Dallas Morning News had a wonderful article as well. We made the rounds that is for sure this year and couldn't have done without all the help from the Volunteers, sponsors, and all the family and friends of Living for Zachary and Zachary.

Story link: MyFoxDFW.com

Happy New Year from Living for Zachary and we
look forward to helping spread awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in 2011.

Celebrate the Hands of Time - 50 years of CPR - Learn it today!

Would you know what to do if someone around you went into cardiac arrest? It is likely most people would say "Sure! I would do CPR," but often there is a lot of misconception about performing CPR - this is a mistake that could cost a life.

Mouth-to-mouth is probably the first thing that pops in to mind when mentioning CPR. As strange as it seems to do mouth-to-mouth on a stranger, you may come upon a situation that requires you to perform this life saving action. However, you do need to know that when skipping mouth-to-mouth and immediately beginning chest compressions you will increase the victims chances of surviving by 25%.



CPR, or chest compressions, may also bring about a concern for the victim. Many times people worry about hurting the victim by breaking their ribs. This chance becomes more common as a person ages and becomes older and their bones are more brittle. But if a victim only has broken ribs in the end, it will be worth it! Broken ribs are nothing compared to living.

If a situation approaches and you are not able to get to the victim, you can still save try and save a life. Dial 911. By only dialing 911 the victim has a 1 in 20 chance of living with all functions intact. These functions are as life changing and often leave a person unable to do normal daily activities like walking, talking, and seeing.

It can also make a world of difference that someone has taken a CPR class and has become certified. To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of CPR, take a class and get smart about CPR and saving lives this holiday season.

The American Red Cross offers local classes to any individual interested in becoming CPR certified. Information about CPR Classes, visit the Red Cross Website or visit the American Heart Association website. It is so easy to find out where a CPR class is, just simply type in your area - it's that easy. Make a promise for 2011 that you will become CPR certified and help keep other's alive.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and New Year from all of us at
Living for Zachary!

"Bright Lights, Broadway Nights" with Living for Zachary!

Living for Zachary and THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano are proud to announce the annual Heart Beats Gala "Bright Lights, Broadway Nights"! This year we will be hosting the event at the Marriott Plano at Legacy Town Center on February 19, 2011.

We are always looking for way to raise awareness, build support and prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest. There are so many ways that you can help. The sponsorship opportunities provide funding for a variety of things, like community education, awareness events, scholarships and the gift of automated external defibrillators to organizations in need. To see a full list of our sponsorship options please visit the Living for Zachary website.

Through-out the night we will be awarding scholarships as well as providing our guests with cocktails, dinner and dancing with live music. Goga will perform during our silent auction and throughout dinnertime and you will fall in love with his Italian opera / contemporary songs with a special modern twist that only Goga can do. The rest of the evening will have dance music by Limelight (a Emerald City Production) and you can jam to Michael Jackson, Journey and even slow dance to Patsy Cline's "crazy".

We will also be hosting a big board auction and a silent auction with lots of great items! Soon we will be posting a sneak peak to some of the wonderful silent auction items that we will have. You certainly do not want to miss these.

It will be a great night of remembrance and awareness.... Please make plans to join us for the Living for Zachary Heart Beats Gala and order your ticket to a wonderful night right here!

The best gift this Holiday season ... the gift of life!

This time of year we all seem to searching for the "perfect gift" to give our kid's or family members that are children. These toys seem so trivial and we know that the toys "excitement" won't last long so this year, 2010 why not give a special gift? The gift of life, by giving your loved one or loved ones, a heart screening.

THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano offers non-invasive electrocardiogram and echocardiogram screenings to youth ages 13-22. These heart screenings are offered for $100.00.

The heart screening package may prove to be invaluable to hundreds of youth in Plano, Texas and surrounding communities or your local hospital. Parents can call 1-800-4BAYLOR begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-4BAYLOR end_of_the_skype_highlighting request the “Living for Zachary” screening. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. SCA usually causes death if it's not treated within minutes.

People who have heart disease are at increased risk for SCA. However, most SCAs happen in people who appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors for SCA.

Answers to your questions may be found on the Living for Zachary website under FAQ's about Heart Screening.

Living for Zachary encourages you to have your heart screened or have a loved one's heart screened and give the best gift ever - the gift of life. Having your heart screened CAN save your life! Please sign up for the Living for Zachary Newsletter for updates and events and Follow Living for Zachary on Facebook and Twitter!!

One is lost and One is saved..

241,622..... that is a large number, a number that is bigger than some can imagine - that number is how many people have lost their lives to Sudden Cardiac Arrest - that is one loved one every two minutes - that will no longer be around. Sound sad, it is and especially when there is something that we can do about it and possibly save lives. Have your Heart Screened and help spread awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Screening.

Sixteen-year-old Kyle Biendara - Apollo High School in St. Paul, Minneapolis, normal day - normal kid. Kyle started not feeling well on his way home from school and within the hour had died. His last class of the day was PE/Physical Education. Another family mourns.

Quick thinking by a High School Basketball Coach gave Senior forward; Xavier Jones, 17, a reason to be thankful last week. Xavier collapsed during practice last week for a basketball championship in San Gabriel. One of the Coaches had just gone over CPR the night before and stepped in when Xavier collapsed. He was breathing again by the time that medical help arrived. Coincidence? Not a chance.

Have your heart screened and pay attention to the signs of SCA and know the risks:

• Previous Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) episode(s): A previous attack often predicts another occurrence.
• Heart failure (heart pumps poorly).
• Abnormal heart rhythms: If your ejection fraction is 40 percent or less, further testing is warranted to verify the risk associated with the rhythm disorder. If your heart arrhythmia comes and goes, there are special monitors you can wear or carry to record your heart's electrical activity.Previous history of heart disease or heart rhythm disorders.
• Family history of SCA .
• Unexplained fainting episodes.

If you would like to help spread the word of SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest) please visit: Living4Zachary.org. Another 16 year old that tragically lost his life to SCA was Zachary Schrah however the world is becoming a better and safer place because of Living for Zachary and because of Zachary's memory.