Local Nonprofit Group Helping Student Athletes Get Screened For Cardiac Problems
By Molly Daly
NORTH WALES, Pa. (CBS) -- Tomorrow evening, high school student athletes will be screened for conditions that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
The clinic, the first in a monthly series that will resume during the next school year, is a joint effort between a local nonprofit group and Abington Medical Specialists, in North Wales.
Simon's Fund, named for Darren and Phyllis Sudman's three-month-old son who died of sudden cardiac arrest, has held free heart screenings for the past seven years.
Sudden cardiac arrest can strike at any age, but Darren Sudman says one particular group is at particular risk.
"It's the undisputable, number one cause of death of student athletes," he tells KYW Newsradio. "We can't just look at them and assume their heart is fine."
At Tuesday's clinic, doctors will look for ten conditions, according to Sudman.
"The screening involves a physical examination, an EKG exam, and then a full medical history evaluation. And then, if something is discovered, we also provide an echocardiogram."
Students can register at simonsfund.org. Although the exam and tests are free, a $50 donation is requested.
