Students at Niles High School will have the opportunity to get their heart health checked on April 19, thanks to a program called the Play for Jake Foundation, which aims to uncover undetected heart issues with free electrocardiogram screening.
Last week, school board members heard from Julie Schroeder, of LaPorte, Indiana, who is the founder of the organization.
Schroeder started the foundation after the tragic loss of her son Jake West, Sept. 25, 2013.
“I never thought my son had a heart condition,” Schroeder told school board members.
Jake, 17, was a high school athlete and had undergone many sports physicals as an avid athlete. During a football practice, Jake died suddenly on the field. An autopsy revealed that he died due to an undetected heart condition.
Jake seemingly had no issues that would indicate a heart issue, and there was no record of heart disease in his family.
Health experts say his abnormality might have been caught with EKG screening, which tests the heart’s electrical activity by monitoring the heart using electrodes attached to the chest.
Since his death, Schroeder has been advocating for more adolescents to have their hearts tested.
“[My goal] is to reach all kids and get all kids screened,” Schroeder said.
According to Schroeder, health experts recommend that youth have their hearts screened every two years.
Listening to the presentation last Monday, Niles Superintendent Dan Applegate said the high school was lucky to have the opportunity.
Niles High School principal Molly Brawley agreed.
“This is not just for athletes,” Brawley said. “Any high school kid could die from this.”
The Play for Jake Foundation is a collaboration with the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and St. Vincent Medical Group in Indianapolis. The EKG test takes only 30 seconds and is completely painless, according to the foundation’s website.
According to the foundation, sudden cardiac death is the number one killer of student athletes and the second leading medical cause of death among youth under 25. An electrocardiogram test could help to find the presence of the variety of issues that could lead to cardiac arrest. The test successfully finds 86 percent of heart health problems, the foundation said in a release.
For Joe Sassano, a Niles High School physical education teacher, the free test offers an opportunity to students whose families might not be able to afford it.
“This a few thousand dollar test that is free to every students,” Sassano said. “That is going to provide a lot of kids the opportunity who would otherwise not have the opportunity.”
The first 350 students that sign up will be tested by a pediatric cardiologist supplied from the foundation. If more students sign up, the cardiologist will return the next day to continue their screening, Sassano said. Results will be shared with parents.
Sassano has taught physical education for 30 years, one of which has been at Niles High School. In that time, he said he has never seen a student deal with an undetected cardiac issue. Still, he said it is better to be safe. Raising awareness about the issues is also key, he said.
The test is not just for athletes. Any Niles High School student wanting to have their heart health tested is welcome to sign up.
“Our hope is to save lives and help prevent this tragedy from happening to other families,” the foundation’s website reads.