JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — According to the nonprofit Who We Play For, one in every 300 youth has an undetected, potentially life-threatening heart condition. Most of the time there are no warning signs, and the problem is missed 96% of the time with a stethoscope. A simple, noninvasive electrocardiogram, often referred to as an ECG or EKG records the heart’s electrical signals and can help identify problems that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
“This is the leading cause of death of athletes. And it's also the leading cause of death of all ages on school campus,” Shawn Sima, Impact Director of Who We Play For said. “We really need to raise awareness that this does happen. One in every 25 United States schools on average is going to have somebody collapse on campus.”
Sima’s daughter survived sudden cardiac arrest when she was 16 years old because an AED was available. Nine of ten people who have sudden cardiac arrest die.
“EKGs have been shown to be six times more effective at catching these cardiac conditions that put our children in danger of sudden cardiac arrest. Taking five minutes to have your child get an EKG may be the difference in finding a cardiac condition that could take your child’s life in an instant,” Sima said. “Every day in the United States twenty kids lose their lives to sudden cardiac arrest, and many of them can prevented,” Sima said.
First Coast News is teaming up with Who We Play For and The Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program for a free heart screening event on Monday, January 8, 2024 at the Flex Field, 1 EverBankField Drive in downtown Jacksonville. Duval County Public Schools will provide transportation for its students to be screened from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Then from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. anyone aged 10 to 22 can get a free heart screening.
Each electrocardiogram is interpreted by a pediatric cardiologist or cardiologist volunteering to serve on the Who We Play For Medical Advisory Team. Results will be emailed to parents five to ten days after the screening. Registration is open now and will close at 7pm the night before the event. For details and to reserve a spot for your child click here, scroll down and click "sign up."