Screen Today – Save a Life | Rye & Rye Brook Moms

 

 

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in sports and on school campuses.

SCA is not a heart attack – it’s an electrical or structural problem that causes a fatal arrhythmia – a deadly heartbeat. The underlying condition is something you’re born with and/or can develop as young hearts grow.

The first symptom of SCA is often death. Seemingly healthy athletes are most commonly struck. There is a higher incidence of death starting in the teenage years when hormones are changing.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the U.S., taking the lives of at least 326,000 Americans annually. The American Heart Association quotes at least 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually — 347,422 adults and 7,037 children under age 18.

On average, in the United States, almost 20 children, under age 18, die daily from SCA.

 

 

Why should my child get a cardiac screening?

The human body, including the heart, changes during puberty in a variety of ways. In middle school, student athletes learn how to push their bodies to new levels as they mature and grow. Because of these physical changes and the increased stresses on a student athlete’s heart, cardiac screening should be part of a physical at least once while in middle school and once in high school. Electrocardiogram (ECG) screening can help detect problems before they become major medical issues. Statistics show that 1 in 300 youth have an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

Founded in Cocoa Beach, Florida, after the sudden and devastating loss of 16 year old Rafe Maccarone on the soccer field, Who We Play For (WWPF) is a national nonprofit organization partnering with schools to eliminate preventable sudden cardiac arrest through electrocardiogram (ECG) screening.   Rafe suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). After his death, it was found that his condition could have been prevented and would have been discovered on a simple five-minute EKG test. This community was not going to lose another child to a heart defect that can easily be found. The goal has always been to show the country that not only is it imperative, but it is also possible to deliver affordable ECG screenings to every child no matter their level of athletics, socio-economic status or geographical location.

        To date, WWPF has screened over 100,000 people in over 300 communities across 7 states.  They have identified 76 individuals that needed some level of medical intervention, including heart transplants, and hundreds of others with abnormalities that can now be monitored.

 

 

 

Quick Facts about ECG’s:

  • 5 MINUTES – amount of time it takes to screen 1 student
  • ECG’s are statistically proven to be 80-90x more effective than a stethoscope 
  • $20 vs $100 – the cost to screen with Who We Play For compared to a hospital screening

Click here to sign your child up for a $20 screening at Blind Brook Middle/High School on Tuesday, February 25 and Wednesday, February 26. If there is any concern due to financial hardship, Boundless Adventures has generously agreed to cover the cost.

Click here to DONATE TODAY — Your donation can make the difference in saving a student’s life by identifying heart problems with an affordable, effective ECG.

 

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