In partnership with the Thomas Smith Memorial Foundation, Aspire Rural Health System is offering FREE Teen Heart Health Checks to students ages 13 to 19 on Saturday, March 14th from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Hills & Dales Healthcare in Cass City.
This special program offers an in-depth, noninvasive heart screening that includes a medical history, a blood pressure check, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). A pediatric cardiologist will evaluate each student and an echocardiogram will be provided, if needed. The screening looks for evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that can cause sudden cardiac death in young athletes as well as in students engaging in physical activity or exercise.
Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in young athletes. This program is saving lives, and detecting serious conditions. A screening only takes 30 minutes and can offer peace of mind to students and their families, concerned about the risk of sudden cardiac death and premature hypertension.
Teens must pre-register to participate, as space is limited. To learn more or to register, visit www.aspirerhs.org/teen-heart-screening. Teens participating in the screening event will need to have their parents complete a registration packet that can be downloaded from the Aspire website at www.aspirerhs.org/teen-heart-screening
Over 4,500 teens between the ages of 13 to 19 have been screened since 2011 with the help of the Thomas Smith Memorial Foundation in Michigan to evaluate their heart for abnormalities particularly as it relates to exercise and sudden death. Since these checks began, they have identified 169 teens that had a medical heart condition, 49 of which were lifesaving. Conditions detected include Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, Abnormal Valve Function, Severely Elevated Blood Pressure, 2nd degree AV block Type I, Abnormal Family History, Atrial Septal Abnormality, LV Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy, and LVH Subaortic Stenosis AI.
These FREE Teen Health Screenings are made possible in part by the Thomas Smith Memorial Foundation, created in memory of Thomas N. Smith, 17, a Flushing High School senior, who passed away in 2011 from an undiagnosed, enlarged heart. Co-founder of the Foundation and Thomas’ mom, Mary Smith, estimates that 1% of students screened at these events are found to have a life-limiting heart condition that would go undetected otherwise. Thomas’ memory will live on by offering young athletes throughout Michigan these teen heart screenings. Please join us for this unique screening event!
To learn more or to get your teen registered for this free teen heart screening, please visit www.aspirerhs.org/teen-heart-screening.