By Neil Corbett – Maple Ridge News
Marc Dalton could have been one of the statistics.
The Maple Ridge-Mission MLA suffered a heart attack earlier this year, he told students at Thomas Haney secondary on Wednesday while announcing a new program.
The Advanced Coronary Treatment Foundation will train 1,000 students in six Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows public schools in CPR and how to use defibrillators.
Dalton said heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada, killing approximately 50,000 Canadians every year. About 1.6 million people have heart disease country-wide.
“I had a heart attack earlier this year, and there was no signal beforehand,” said Dalton.
During the spring, he had pain in his chest and nausea.
“It was not going away, and it was not good.”
An associate of his had ignored symptoms and suffered a fatal heart attack.
Dalton went to hospital, and it was determined one of his arteries was 80-90 per cent blocked.
He had a stint installed, and was released from hospital the next day.
It’s important to recognize symptoms and get medical help, he said.
“It was easier than having dental work,” Dalton added.
“I’m happy there was no damage to my heart.”