Belleville heart recipient to join Heart & Sole Walk on Oct. 3
Monday, September 27, 2010
THE RECORD
Belleville resident Joe Giunta, who received a heart transplant at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center less than a year ago, will be participating in the hospital's annual Heart & Sole Walk to benefit heart failure and transplant patients.
The Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program has a strong support group know as the Hearty Hearts of which Giunta is a member.
Since his transplant, Giunta has made volunteering on the behalf of others a priority. He visits regularly with patients at Newark Beth Israel who are waiting for a heart transplant.
"They can see their future in me," he said. "They always say, 'You look good,' and I tell them, 'You will too.'"
Some people waiting for a heart transplant will receive a ventricular assist device to support their failing heart while they await a compatible donor heart. Giunta relied on a VAD for 16 months while he waited for his transplant and has been active in helping other VAD candidates.
"Talking to someone who has been there helps them calm down and understand that they don't have to be afraid," he reflected. "I am very grateful for my transplant. I want to let in a ray of hope for others."
The public is invited to participate in the annual Heart & Sole Walk that will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 3, at Verona Park to benefit heart failure and transplant patients at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. In addition to a walk, activities will include, a Kids' Walk, entertainment for children, as well as music, food and beverages.
Information about organ donation will be available through New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network (NJ Sharing Network), one of the federally-funded, state-certified non-profit organizations responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs. Individuals, families and teams are encouraged to join in the event. To register for the Heart & Sole Walk, contact btepper@sbhcs.com or call 973-926-7018.
The Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is New Jersey's oldest and most experienced heart transplant center, having performed more than 530 life-saving heart transplants. It remains among the most active in the country, ranking among the top ten in the nation by volume for the last five years. The center also has short- and long-term graft survival rates that consistently exceed national benchmarks. The experienced team offers patients and families premier care and ongoing support.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has a distinguished history in the field of cardiology. Our pioneering physicians performed the first early coronary bypass procedures as well as the first heart transplant in New Jersey. Their work in the development and use of pacemakers is world renowned. Building on that legacy, our nationally respected cardiac physicians, surgeons and researchers continue to make significant advances in cardiac care.
At the Saint Barnabas Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, New Jersey residents have access to one of the nation's finest and most comprehensive cardiovascular programs that was ranked among the nation's 50 best ï¾– and New Jersey's top — in Heart and Heart Surgery by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Hospitals 2010-11, for the second consecutive year.
Highly specialized care includes minimally invasive and robotic-assisted cardiac procedures, state-of-the-art technology that provides astounding images of the heart for more precise diagnosis, and the latest generation of ventricular assist devices designed to take over the pumping action for a diseased heart.
The heart transplant program remains among the most active in the country, ranking ninth in the nation by volume, with short- and long-term graft survival rates that consistently exceed national benchmarks.
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