"We do the necessary research and polish the copy until each sentence shines."
Chris Atack, Atack Associates

From a major funder of cardiovascular research:

(NB: names have been changed for the privacy of the individuals and organizations involved.)

As I breathed into the mask, I heard the paramedic say "we're losing her!" and I thought I would never see my grandchildren grow up. Why did it take a massive heart attack to make me realize how much was at stake?

Dear Friend:

It happened on a Monday. A friend and I were sitting in a restaurant, enjoying lunch hour. We were laughing and joking. Then whammo! I felt this unbelievable pain, like an elephant was standing on my chest. I began to drip with sweat.

When the attack started, I knew something was terribly wrong. I told my friend to call 911. Then, I blacked out. The manager called an ambulance right away. By sheer good luck, it arrived almost instantly.

On the way to the hospital, I went into coronary arrest. The ambulance crew brought me back, but I arrested again in Emergency. I was dying.

At the hospital, doctors raced to unblock the arteries which supplied my heart with blood. They succeeded. Only two hours after my heart attack, I was in the Coronary Care Unit, surrounded by my family.

Looking back, I realize I was a perfect candidate for a heart attack. I was 59, I smoked and I didn't handle stress well. But I'd convinced myself that heart disease couldn't happen to me. My parents hadn't died of heart problems. Nor had my grandparents. I thought I had nothing to worry about.

So I ignored the warning signs. I'd been very tired for a long time. A few days earlier, I'd noticed twinges of chest pain. My friends urged me to see a doctor, but I laughed it off. The day of my heart attack I was still having chest pains. Just indigestion, or so I told myself.

To this day I can hardly believe how lucky I was. I got to hospital before it was too late. There, I received the best, most modern treatment available -- treatment based on years of research and experience. Many people aren't so lucky. Heart attack and stroke remain the leading killers of Canadians. But you can help change that.

First, read the enclosed brochure to learn if you're a candidate for heart disease or stroke. If you're at risk, do something about it -- right now! Also, learn the signs of a heart attack and what to do if you if you or a family member has one.

Most important of all, support the CLIENT. Your generous gift of $35, $70, $100, or even more will support life-saving research and help us inform Canadians about heart disease and stroke.

In Canada, almost 80,000 people die each year from heart disease and stroke. These diseases place heavy pressures on our health care system -- and the human cost is beyond calculation.

Modern heart attack treatments have reduced the death toll slightly, but this has created a new challenge. Survivors' hearts are often badly damaged by their attacks, leaving them severely disabled. Their quality of life is poor. They suffer chest pain, their lifestyles are restricted and they're at high risk for more heart attacks.

Your gift will help them.

By sending in your donation today, you'll be helping the CLIENT fund new research to understand the causes of heart attacks, new treatment options, and other projects that can help people who've already suffered a heart attack or a stroke. Your contribution may literally make the difference between life and death to someone like me.

Or more important -- someone you love.

That's about as big a difference as you can make. I realize that now, because I know the pain and fear of being very close to death, and it's made me more aware of how precious life really is.

At first, my doctors were sure I'd be badly disabled. But because I'd been treated so fast, my heart wasn't seriously damaged. When I was discharged, I enrolled in a rehabilitation program. Three months later, I returned to work.

Today, I live an active life. I work, and I baby-sit my grandchildren whenever I'm asked. I'm there for my husband and my daughters. I value my life more than I can say, because I know how close I came to losing it. I wonder how I could have been so foolish, and why I didn't act while there was still time.

Many people right now are making the same mistakes I made. They're ignoring risk factors and downplaying early warning signs. We must reach them before it's too late. It's up to you. Won't you take a minute right now to respond?

On behalf of all the people you are helping with your generous support, thank you so much.

Donna Anyperson

P.S. The time to head off heart disease or stroke is right now! Assess your risk, and do what you can to reduce it. Know the signs of heart attack and how to respond. And please act now to support your CLIENT. Your gift could help save the life of a loved one -- or even your own.

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