Dear Editor:
This week I will complete the Healthy Heart Program at Richmond Hospital and I will be healthier for it.
Healthy Heart is a cardiac rehabilitation and cardiovascular disease prevention program which has been in operation for more than 20 years. Participants include adults who are at risk of developing heart disease or who have experienced a cardiac event such as a heart attack, bypass surgery (which was the case with me). The program consists of education and exercise.
For me, the best part of the program was learning from the other participants, their perspectives, life experiences and knowledge, yet sharing the common bond of being cardiac patients.
And I am indebted to the excellent staff who made this program such a great learning, life-changing experience. I want to express much appreciation for the friendly, caring professionalism of Joan Prescesky, Karen Tyldesley, Rishma Dhalla and Emily Chou. Kudos also go to Fiona, the program’s tireless volunteer and Dr. Andrew Jakubowski, cardiologist, program medical director.
While the program is coming to an end, I know that the lessons learned will help me in my new beginning of personally living a “heart healthy” life. For this, I am deeply thankful for the Heart Healthy Program at Richmond Hospital.
John Yap
Richmond
