Harris ignored warning signs that a heart attack was in his near future – in Harris’ case, a mild shortness of breath and three months of unexplained indigestion. “You make any excuse in the world not to see the doctor. That’s what men do. There’s a lesson behind that,“ Harris says.
Lessons Learned
The first lesson, according to Dr. Everett, is to see your doctor annually and whenever you notice small changes in your health. “We all know that eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking are important to our heart health. But knowing where you fall on the spectrum for having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, requires that you see a health professional regularly,” Dr. Everett says.
High blood pressure (40 percent), high cholesterol (30 percent) and diabetes (13.2 percent), impact the African-American community in large numbers and can each increase your risk for a heart attack. As a result, African Americans are at higher risk for heart attacks.This is why Harris, Jones and Dr. Everett are spreading the word to everyone – especially the basketball community – to take heed of the second lesson: learn CPR.
Harris, Jones and Dr. Everett continue to share a love for playing the game of basketball and are working to educate Chicago’s pick-up basketball community on the benefits and offer training in CPR.
About Advocate Trinity Hospital
Providing healthcare on the Southeast Side of Chicago for more than 120 years, Advocate Trinity Hospital is a 205-bed not-for-profit health care facility and a designated Stroke Ready Facility, Part of Advocate Health Care—Illinois’ largest fully-integrated health care delivery system—Advocate Trinity offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as a variety of community outreach programs. For more information about Advocate Trinity, please visit: www.advocatehealth.com/trinity.