www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, February 17, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Oakville Beaver THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution Sarah McSweeney Circ. Manager Heart disease is one of the top killers in Canada, claiming more than 40,000 lives per year. A person's chance of surviving a sudden cardiac event decreases drastically the longer he or she waits to get medical attention. That's why, in recognition of February as Heart Month, St. John Ambulance is reminding everyone of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Knowing them could help you save someone near and dear to your heart. Signs and symptoms include: · pain that can be described as heaviness, tightness, squeezing, pressure, crushing, indigestion, aching jaw, sore arm or upper back pain · pale skin · sweating · nausea or vomiting · shortness of breath · fatigue · shock If you suspect someone is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately; make the person comfortable by loosening tight clothing around her or his neck, chest and waist; if he or she takes heart medication, assist them in taking it; and if she or her loses consciousness and stops breathing, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). On average, it takes 4.5 hours for someone having a heart attack to realize he or she should get medical help. Don't delay. If you suspect you may be having a heart attack, get to the hospital immediately. The sooner you get there, the better your chance of survival. That is something near and dear to Oakville resident Ishrani Henry's heart. Last year, Henry lost her father to a heart attack. He had just turned 66 years old. Her dad, Michael Ramcharran, was a healthy, vibrant, full-of-life person who was never diagnosed with heart disease. His lack of knowledge of this silent killer turned out to be fatal for him. This year, Henry, along with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Halton, is hosting the inaugural Love Your Heart Right from the Start. It will be Saturday, Feb. 18 at Le Dome Banquet Hall, 1173 North Service Rd. E. The event will feature a buffet dinner, cocktails, dance, silent auction, guest speakers -- and the dress code is red. All proceeds of this event will be donated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Halton in Honour of Michael Ramcharran. Tickets cost $50 and are available from Henry at 905-484-0392 or ishrani12@gmail.com. In this month that focuses on matters of the heart, don't forget your own heart and what matters to it. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. A matter of heart Parking fees tiny tradeoff Letter to the editor Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Grateful for a local hospital Re: Parking at hospital too costly, Oakville Beaver, Feb. 10, 2012 I do understand that parking at our hospital seems to be somewhat costly. However, payment by cash or credit card at the kiosk just inside the hospital doors helps lower costs as it allows for those extra minutes involved in getting my car to the exit. Sometimes, being only a minute or so into the next payment level can be annoying, but it's all for a good cause. What helps me is to take a positive and thankful approach: the hospital is within a few miles of my home, there is convenient parking, and I have just received, free of charge, the wonderful services of dedicated doctors, nurses and hospital staff; I think of people who have to travel many miles at great expense for services such as I receive, if they can get them at all. Rather than object to what is really an insignificant amount compared with what I have received, I gratefully count my many blessings. Yvonne Mayhew, Oakville By Steve Nease neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud Re: Parking at hospital too costly, Oakville Beaver, Feb. 10, 2012 I am particularly irritated by Elka Enola's complaint about her $3.25 splurge on parking at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). She should remember to count her blessings before complaining and be grateful her community has a hospital which can treat her husband locally. My 14-year-old son has been a kidney patient of The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children for 10 years. Each visit, ranging from daily to every few months, to The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children has a parking fee of $16, not to mention gas and the hundreds of hours of traffic accumulated by my husband and myself over the years. Last trip, two weeks ago, took me two hours in a snow storm in rush hour just to get home to the rest of our family. With his upcoming transplant, we will be required to travel in at least one vehicle every day for a minimum of two months, mostly just to complete blood tests. Unfortunately, these tests cannot be done at Oakville hospital because they are too specialized. It would relieve a huge burden if we could drive 25 minutes to OTMH to have follow up done. The parking expense I did not even consider while planning my son's life-saving treatment. Further, has she ever considered the cost of the services and medical treatments her husband receives at the kidney clinic? It's not justified to say patients should pay less for parking or have free parking. I have always justified the cost of parking as a tiny financial contribution to the huge expense incurred by treatment. And what about employees who must pay higher rates as part of their daily employment? If Ms. Enola has time to complain about $3.25, perhaps she should involve herself in the planning of the parking at the new Oakville hospital, and see if she can come up with a more equitable and feasible plan for the future. Jennifer Lynn, Oakville