Heart and Stroke Voice Ireland

Excited to be joining Global Heart Hub 's 4th Annual Unitmit in #Dublin 🇮🇪 This unique gathering will bring together patients, patient organisations and key stakeholders from across the globe to amplify the voices of those impacted by cardiovascular disease and related conditions like stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and obesity. This #GHHUnite summit will foster collaboration, deepen our understanding, drive actionable priorities and shape initiatives to improve health outcomes across two days of impactful discussions. ❤️ ❤️ #strongertogether #UniteSummit #CVDAdvoacy #GHHUnite Croí Heart & Stroke Charity National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC) Heart & Stroke Voice Ireland HSE Patient and Service User Engagement Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science, and Industry #patientvoice #livedexperience

Know the Signs of Stroke – Act Fast ‼️ Recognising the signs of a stroke can save lives. Remember F.A.S.T.: 👤 Facial weakness: Can they smile? Is there drooping in one eye or side of the mouth? 💪🏻Arm weakness: Can they raise both arms? Does one arm feel weak or numb? 🗣️Speech difficulty: Is their speech slurred? Can they understand you? ⏰ Time: Call 112 or 999 immediately if you see any of these signs. Time is critical. Other signs of a stroke may be less well-known, and each person may experience them differently. These can include: • Sudden weakness or paralysis on one or both sides • Loss of balance, sudden falls, or coordination issues • Vision loss or blurriness in one or both eyes • Confusion or sudden memory issues • A severe headache or dizziness Let’s stay aware and act fast. Together, we can be hashtag #GreaterThan Stroke. #WorldStrokeDay #StrokeSupportSquad #StrokePreventionSquad #StrokePrevention World Stroke Organization

Reclaiming your life and thriving after a stroke! Every small step - empowered by knowledge and support - builds resilience and restores confidence in your physical abilities, guiding you to be #GreaterThan Stroke. 🧠 Thank you to Heidi Kingston, and to Richard and Mary Harrahill, for sharing their insights and stories. If you would like to join the Heart & Stroke Voice Ireland (HSVI) alliance and share your stroke story to help others, please complete the short form on our website, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly 👉www.heartandstrokevoice.ie #WorldStrokeDay #Stroke World Stroke Organization #PatientPower #HeartStrokeVoiceIreland #PatientAdvocacy #PatientVoice #CarerVoice

Today, October 29th, is World Stroke Day 💙🧠 Delia, a Croí Heart & Stroke Charity Programme Participant, generously shared her story as part of the World Stroke Day campaign. Delia experienced 4 strokes in 2016 and following this described everyday tasks as being her greatest challenge. Watch the video to learn how she overcame this and learned how to be “Greater Than Stroke”, which is the theme of this year’s World Stroke Day. If you would like to join the Heart & Stroke Voice Ireland (HSVI) alliance and share your stroke story to help others, please complete the short form on our website, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly 👉 www.heartandstrokevoice.ie. #PatientPower #HeartStrokeVoiceIreland #PatientAdvocacy #PatientVoice #CarerVoice #WorldStrokeDay #GreaterThanStroke #Stroke World Stroke Organization

Thrilled to get the opportunity to chat all things #WorldHeartDay #hearthealth to Jean-Luc Eiselé CEO World Heart Federation at the #AsiaPacificHeartSummit in #Bangkok this morning. We are a global community. We are all facing the same challenges and barriers when it comes to #CVD. It is only by working together that we will find and implement solutions to address the urgent problem of #CVD in our home countries and across the world. Eventually through comprehensive #cvhealth plans for every country! That is why #WHD activity in Sept each year is a really important opportunity for us to speak with one voice and to generate meaningful dialogue on the urgent global issue of #CVD. #patients #patientvoice #patientempowerment #healthcareprofessionals #policymakers #privatesector #collaboration #cardiovascularhealthforall #communityhealth #strongertogether ❤️❤️❤️💪 World Heart Federation Global Heart Hub ACCESS Health International Croí Heart & Stroke Charity National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC) FH Europe Foundation

Neil Johnson Executive Director Global Heart Hub stressing the central and important role of the #patientvoice and #livedexperience in the formulation and implementation of any comprehensive, cohesive #Cardiovascularhealth strategy. The patient landscape is changing. #Patients want to be part of the conversation, not only in relation to decisions about their own health but importantly in relation to health policy decisions and strategies. Patients are the most important stakeholder in any health eco system. Informed, motivated, expert patients must be encouraged and supported to be active and engaged in every country. #patients must have a seat at the table. #Collaboration is key! #nothingaboutuswithoutus #strongertogether #patientcentrc Croí Heart & Stroke Charity National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC) @HSVIRELAND Stephen Donnelly HSE Patient and Service User Engagement

Croí has unveiled its 2023 Annual Report, showcasing the remarkable achievements of an exceptional year. 📖❤️ This report follows a year of substantial growth in activity levels, during which Croí made considerable progress in our community-facing activities, programmes, and actions focused on prevention and psychological support. We have also advanced the patient empowerment and advocacy agenda with the formation of Heart and Stroke Voice Ireland, a new patient alliance under the auspices of Croí. We must acknowledge the transformational legacy donation from the Joe and Helen O’Toole Charitable Trust (Tuam). This generous funding has been a crucial catalyst, enabling us to plan ambitiously for a step-change in our levels of service delivery, geographical reach, and impact. We hope you find the report informative and that it reaffirms your support as a donor, partner, supporter, or volunteer. We are deeply grateful for your contribution and partnership. 🤝 Photographed from left to right: Mark O'Donnell, Chief Executive; Mr. Laurence May, Board of Directors; Ms. Marie Gavin, Board of Directors; Mr. Mark Gantly, Chairman; Dr. Emer Curtis, Board of Directors; and Mr. Pat O’Donnell, Board of Directors. Visit croi.ie/annualreports to view the 2023 Annual Report.

Croí was delighted to attend #Ploughing2024, thanks to the Irish Farmers Association. The Croí Health Team provided many heart health checks over the three days at Stand 261. 🚜 It was great to see so many farmers and members of the public taking the opportunity to gain valuable heart health information and avail of free cholesterol and blood pressure checks. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and took a proactive approach to their heart health. ❤️ It was wonderful to meet with so many heart health advocates, including Critical - Emergency Medical Response and Laura Tully from Fit Farmers and her daughter, Erica Tully, a Comhairle na nÓg National Executive member from Roscommon. Erica is a wonderful young advocate for cardiovascular health. Additionally, Heart and Stroke Voice Ireland network members Richard and Mary Harrahill dropped by the Croí IFA stand at Ploughing to remind us about the importance of knowing your numbers, especially your blood pressure. Richard ignored his high blood pressure and, unfortunately, suffered a serious stroke. His message is: don’t wait; get it checked today. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for stroke. ⚠️ A big thank you to the Irish Farmers’ Association, including Damien McDonald, Director General of the IFA; Teresa Roche, Committee Chair of Irish Farm Families; Claire McGilvarry, IFA; Alice Doyle, the first female Vice President of the IFA; and Christine Friel, Irish Farm Families. Thank you to the politicians who engaged with us, including Minister Charlie McConalogue, Minister Helen McEntee, Mary Lou McDonald, Roderic O'Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Senator Róisín Garvey, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, MEP Maria Walsh, Nina Carberry, and Taoiseach Simon Harris and more. #HealthyHearts #Heart #Stroke #Prevention #FarmerHealth

Global Heart Hub is delighted to announce that we are bringing the #CardiovascularDisease patient community together for the 4th Annual Unite Summit in Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪 from 3-5 November 2024 - #GHHUnite - to explore the challenges of living with connected, long-term and multiple conditions, and look at the interconnected overall health of patients living with cardiovascular disease. Early, coordinated treatment is key.   #GHHUnite #CVD

Watch now to hear from Gerry Griffin, a 73-year-old gardener from Co. Mayo, as he discusses the signs and symptoms he experienced before discovering he needed to undergo open-heart surgery and a valve replacement. Breathlessness, dizziness or fatigue are all signs you might have Heart Valve Disease. But some people have no symptoms at all. Gerry Griffin is calling on everyone to #ListenToYourHeart and to ask your GP for a stethoscope check at your next appointment. To learn more about Heart Valve Disease, please visit croi.ie/valveweek If you would like to speak to someone about Heart Valve Disease call Croí Connects, Croí’s nurse-led telephone helpline, available Monday to Friday 9:00 am – 5:30 pm at 091-544310 or email healthteam@croi.ie. #ListenToYourHeart #ValveWeek24 #HeartValveDisease