September 5, 2013 — David Heller was a passionate basketball player with many dreams. After a game of basketball in 2005, Heller died in his sleep due to an enlarged heart caused byhypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at only 17 years old. HCM is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death among young competitive athletes and the second most prevalent form of heart muscle disease.
Eight years after the tragedy, Heller’s family members commemorate his memory by raising awareness of the dangers of undiagnosed heart disease in athletes.
The American Heart Association reports that one in every 30,000 to 50,000 high school aged athletes die annually in the U.S. from sudden cardiac arrest.
In sponsorship with the David Heller Foundation, Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel’sseventh annual Teen Athlete Cardiac Screening provides 500 students from throughout the Portland metropolitan area ages 13-19 a full cardiac screening at only $10 per student on Saturday, October 12, 2013, at the adidas Village from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Preregistration is required and opens on August 15, 2013, at www.legacyhealth.org/TACS.
“Randall Children’s Hospital is proud to partner with the David Heller Foundation to provide teen athletes with vital heart screenings that may save their lives,” Molly Burchell, M.D., Clinical Vice President of Pediatrics, Randall Children’s Hospital.
All registered teens will receive a pass to the adidas Village Employee Store and can hang out in the teen fun zone while they wait to be screened.
During last year’s screening more than 10% of athletes screened, 53 out of 451, were not cleared for physical activity. The primary care providers of these athletes were notified for further examination and diagnosis. To see stories of those attending the screening and learn more about the event, parents and students are encouraged to watch the 2012 video of the event.
The Teen Athlete Cardiac Screening provides heart health and risk assessment that helps identify whether a teen may be at risk for HCM. Once diagnosed, this life- threatening heart condition can be treated to minimize its risk.
Cardiac health exams will be performed by a team of physicians and healthcare providers, nurses and technicians. The exams include height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure measurements; an electrocardiogram (ECG), which is reviewed during the event by a pediatric cardiologist; a detailed health history; and cardiac exam. Students will receive their assessment results at the screening which are reviewed with them by a pediatric physician. In the case of abnormal results, a student’s existing primary care provider will be notified by Randall Children’s Hospital.
The screening does not take the place of the medical examination required for all student athletes participating in a school sport. The value of the cardiac screening provided by Randall Children’s Hospital is nearly $300 per screening.
The David Heller Foundation founded the Teen Athlete Cardiac Screening event in 2006, with the help of Randall Children’s Hospital. The mission of The David Heller Foundation is to help young athletes and their families avoid the silent disease that took the life of David Heller in 2005 at age 17. David died in his sleep from sudden cardiac arrest due to undiagnosed HCM.
