Nick of Time Foundation offers free heart screening for students

Not so rare, Sudden Cardiac Arrest strikes three Washington youth in less than six weeks

All across the country, kids are back to school, many playing basketball, having fun with their friends at lunch and riding the school bus home. But for three Washington families and their communities, their world will never be the same.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest struck another seemingly healthy youth, a 13 year old boy at basketball practice at La Center Middle School. Three weeks before, on December 17, it was a 15 yr old boy on his lunch break, and the month before, on November 22, a 15 yr old boy riding the school bus home. Both those students attended Richland High School in the Tri-Cities.

According to the American Heart Association, one in every 350 young people has an undetected heart condition, and most children are undiagnosed until they suffer an often fatal sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

The best way to detect these conditions is through a heart screening using an Electrocardiogram (electrical test) and Echocardiogram (ultrasound test) of the heart. 

These tests are not a routine part of a well child exam. We check our children's eyes, ears and teeth- why not their hearts? In the USA, we lose one high school aged athlete to sudden cardiac arrest every 2-3 days, most with no symptoms until death.

Nick Varrenti, a 16 yr old multisport athlete from Jackson High School in Mill Creek, was one of those statistics when he suffered a fatal SCA in 2004. 

Nick of Time Foundation was created to honor his memory and prevent such tragedies from happening to other young people.

We've been screened!

As part of its commitment to making our schools and community safer, Nick of Time Foundation is partnering with the Northshore School District to host a free youth heart screening for athletes and students between the ages of 14-24 years, regardless of where they are enrolled at school.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 Bothell High School Gymnasium 18125 92nd Ave NE, Bothell, WA, 8am-3pm. Pre-registration is required by email.  Free of charge.

Nick of Time and their partners, UW Medicine and Seattle Children's Hospital, along with strong community support from local companies Cardiac Science, Sonosite, Physio Control and Swedish Medical as well as the Bothell Fire Department and Shoreline EMS, are offering this important event free of charge, to ensure the youth in our community are heart safe.

The mission of Nick of Time:

• Educate the public about Sudden Cardiac arrest in youth.
• The importance of having automated external defibrillators in all public places, including schools. The need for all community members to be trained in CPR/AED use.
• To facilitate free community heart screenings as a way to save lives.