Tweet
[another athlete dies in alabama]
Author: rhonda (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 06-25-02 18:33
About 10 months ago Lisa and I talked at length on the phone, as my 18 yr old son
and I both have HCM. He was diagnosed at age 15, after having had a normal echo
at age 9. Since he was 4 baseball had been his life and all of a sudden it was taken away.
Well, today when I watched the local news I thanked God for the day we found out and changed his activity level. Another 15 year old athlete from Alabama died a sudden death at the beginning of summer training for football from what seems by autopsy to be HCM. I just think that could have been us.
Alabama has lost several high school athletes to sudden death over the past few years and it is always said to be "cardiac problems" or an "enlarged heart".
Just wanted to share w/ everybody and encourage each of you who have any family history of HCM to have your children screened prior to participating in competative sports.
By the way, my son passed the school's sports physical w/ flying colors.
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[Re: another athlete dies in alabama]
Author: Board Moderator--Sarah Beckley (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 06-25-02 20:32
Dear Rhonda
I'm glad your son was "caught" in time for him. Of course, the school physicals don't include echocardiograms, because if they did, perhaps fewer children would die.
The HCMA has several members who are doing screenings in their communities. If you are interested, please call the office.
take care,
Sarah
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[Re: another athlete dies in alabama]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 06-26-02 07:54
Rhonda
Sorry to hear that you lost a child in your community. The lack of proper preparticipation physicals still amazes me, I can not help but wonder many children will be permitted to die before we get the entire community (medical/sports) to see the value of life. I have been told by many doctors that "it is not cost justified to screen kids" and that it will cause "great concern and stress to parents and children". Excuse me but I know it is far more stressful to see your child die. Further I have been told the insurance companies find it not to be cost effective - I can be as analytical as the insurance companies – I wonder the cost difference between a group screening and 1 week in the ICU – lets see… A week in ICU (which is needed after a cardiac arrest without prompt defibrillation in many cases) is about $105,000.00, If you did a group screening you could screen nearly 1500 children for that same money- statistically you would uncover 3 cases of HCM, thereby giving them the opportunity to seek proper medical care. As most of know HCM is compatible with normal life, but we need to identify these cases before we can offer treatment.
I will step down off of my soap box now.
Thanks,
Lisa Salberg
Author: rhonda (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 06-25-02 18:33
About 10 months ago Lisa and I talked at length on the phone, as my 18 yr old son
and I both have HCM. He was diagnosed at age 15, after having had a normal echo
at age 9. Since he was 4 baseball had been his life and all of a sudden it was taken away.
Well, today when I watched the local news I thanked God for the day we found out and changed his activity level. Another 15 year old athlete from Alabama died a sudden death at the beginning of summer training for football from what seems by autopsy to be HCM. I just think that could have been us.
Alabama has lost several high school athletes to sudden death over the past few years and it is always said to be "cardiac problems" or an "enlarged heart".
Just wanted to share w/ everybody and encourage each of you who have any family history of HCM to have your children screened prior to participating in competative sports.
By the way, my son passed the school's sports physical w/ flying colors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: another athlete dies in alabama]
Author: Board Moderator--Sarah Beckley (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 06-25-02 20:32
Dear Rhonda
I'm glad your son was "caught" in time for him. Of course, the school physicals don't include echocardiograms, because if they did, perhaps fewer children would die.
The HCMA has several members who are doing screenings in their communities. If you are interested, please call the office.
take care,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: another athlete dies in alabama]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 06-26-02 07:54
Rhonda
Sorry to hear that you lost a child in your community. The lack of proper preparticipation physicals still amazes me, I can not help but wonder many children will be permitted to die before we get the entire community (medical/sports) to see the value of life. I have been told by many doctors that "it is not cost justified to screen kids" and that it will cause "great concern and stress to parents and children". Excuse me but I know it is far more stressful to see your child die. Further I have been told the insurance companies find it not to be cost effective - I can be as analytical as the insurance companies – I wonder the cost difference between a group screening and 1 week in the ICU – lets see… A week in ICU (which is needed after a cardiac arrest without prompt defibrillation in many cases) is about $105,000.00, If you did a group screening you could screen nearly 1500 children for that same money- statistically you would uncover 3 cases of HCM, thereby giving them the opportunity to seek proper medical care. As most of know HCM is compatible with normal life, but we need to identify these cases before we can offer treatment.
I will step down off of my soap box now.
Thanks,
Lisa Salberg