With the taste of summer in the air, hundreds of swimmers from Israel and around the world are expected to participate in the Rambam Health Care Campus’ First Annual International “Swim from the Heart” on Friday, 19 Iyar to raise awareness and funds for sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Swimmers will navigate along the curves of the Haifa Bay with a magnificent view of the Carmel mountain range sweeping down to meet the shore. The swimmer’s route is filled with thriving underwater life including giant sea turtles and an occasional playful dolphin. The event, with four heats ranging from 1 to 7.6 kilometers is for swimmers of all levels of expertise and will raise awareness and critical research funds to predict and prevent SCD in children and adults– a major cause of natural death worldwide.

SCD patients exhibit no warning symptoms until the fatal incident, making prevention difficult. For young people, SCD is usually due to inherited genetic disorders that may result in the death of otherwise healthy individuals. Particularly tragic is the sudden death of a young athlete with no previous exhibited physical problems. New approaches are needed to enable early detection, prevention, and management to assure a promising future for people at risk for SCD.

“Sudden Cardiac Death is a major cause of natural death throughout the world and we hope this event will not only raise awareness, but also fund additional research in this field to help save lives throughout the world,” said Rambam Health Care Campus Director General Prof. Rafi Beyar. “Swimmers will also affirm life with each stroke as they Swim from the Heart.”

Rambam Health Care Campus is currently building a new modern cardiovascular hospital where clinical care will integrate with top research including, genetic, cellular and physiological mechanisms to prevent, treat and cure diseases of the heart.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)