Montreal – Heart & Stroke is proud to announce that the A Jewel of Life fundraising campaign, which is held in collaboration with Josée Boudreault, is celebrating its fifth anniversary! Nearly 67,500 bracelets were sold in the first four editions, raising almost $675,000 to support research and help beat heart disease and stroke. The brand-new A Jewel of Life bracelet collection will be on sale exclusively in Jean Coutu stores in Quebec from Sept. 16 to Oct. 30.
I am proud to have been the face of A Jewel of Life since the first edition. Five years is a long time! It’s worth celebrating! This year also marks five years since my stroke. So I can personally attest to the importance of heart disease and stroke research and fundraising campaigns like A Jewel of Life. They save lives!” says Josée Boudreault, spokesperson and speaker who suffered strokes in July 2016 and September 2017.
In addition to supporting life-saving research, each bracelet raises awareness about the importance of learning the signs of stroke. They come with a reminder card featuring the acronym FAST, a campaign for which Josée Boudreault is also a spokesperson. FAST is a simple way to remember the most common signs of stroke. The acronym stands for: Face – is it drooping? Arms – can you raise them? Speech – is it slurred or jumbled? And Time – to call 9-1-1 right away.
A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs 62,000 times a year in this country, or once every nine minutes. It is therefore vitally important to recognize the main signs and know how to react to them, especially since it is the leading cause of hospitalization in this country. Despite the urgency of stroke, only 14% of adult Quebecers know the three main signs of stroke and 30% know none. “When someone is having a stroke, every second counts. So you need to react FAST by recognizing the signs and calling 9-1-1 immediately. The sooner blood flow can be restored, the greater the chance of recovery,” notes Josée Boudreault.
To take part in the fifth edition of A Jewel of Life and show your support for Heart & Stroke, purchase a 2021 bracelet for $12.99 plus tax from a Jean Coutu affiliate location. The bracelets are made of grey hematite with five red jade, white jade, or pink quartz stones to mark the fifth anniversary.
Heart & Stroke would like to thank A Jewel of Life’s loyal media partners, the Rythme stations and The Beat 92.5, for helping to fight heart disease and stroke.
For more information, please visit heartandstroke.ca/JewelofLife.
About Heart & Stroke
Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke leads the fight against heart disease and stroke. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to promote health, save lives and promote recovery through research, prevention, and public policy. heartandstroke.ca
Photos
Click here to download photos of Josée Boudreault and bracelets from the 2021 A Jewel of Life campaign.
Contact information
Maryse Bégin
Regional Manager, Communications, Quebec
Heart and Stroke Foundation
514-449-8517
Maryse.Begin@coeuretavc.ca