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Families came together to prioritize their children’s heart health at a complimentary screening event designed to avert sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As Valentine’s Day unfolded, numerous Jacksonville families turned their attention to an often-overlooked issue: the heart health of their children.
Nemours Children’s Health hosted an event offering free electrocardiogram screenings for youngsters and young adults aged 10 to 22. This initiative was organized by Who We Play For, a nonprofit committed to reducing instances of sudden cardiac arrest among young athletes.
Such cardiac arrests are the foremost cause of fatality in student athletes.
Throughout the morning, families queued for the swift and painless EKG tests that are capable of identifying hidden heart conditions, often without prior symptoms.
Angelo Santos brought his two sons, both of whom play basketball in Jacksonville, for peace of mind.
“This is a good thing to detect the EKG for the heart, so that they know we can screen potential problems, especially nowadays when younger athletes just collapse on the field or on the court,” Santos told First Coast News.
Health experts estimate that one in 300 young people has a detectable heart condition.
“While it is relatively uncommon for a student athlete to have sudden cardiac arrest, that still is the leading cause for sudden death,” said Dr. Rajesh Shenoy, a pediatric cardiologist.
Organizers of the event said the goal is to make heart screenings as routine as sports physicals.
Robert R. Sefcik, executive director of the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program, said events like this are about identifying the rare, but serious cases before tragedy strikes.
“We’re trying to catch the needle in the haystack,” Sefcik said. “We know that most kids are perfectly safe and perfectly healthy, but every now and then we will catch somebody with a cardiac abnormality that needs additional follow-up. Preparing kids for playing high school sports and being safe out on the athletic field, that’s what we’re all about today.”
Organizers said they plan to host more screening events throughout the year. Families can visit whoweplayfor.org for future dates and registration information.