In partnership with the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation, who have screened more than 20,000 young people/athletes for heart abnormalities, LA Galaxy San Diego offered free heart screening to all of its members (aged 12-19) today at the Carlsbad Senior Center. LAGSD also opened the screening up to all of Carlsbad’s Youth Sport Organizations in an effort to ensure the youth athletes of Carlsbad had the opportunity to get screened.
The screenings today included a health history review, an EKG, consultation with a cardiologist, and if indicated, a limited echocardiogram. The EP Save A Life Foundation also provided CPR training for all children getting screened as well as parents. To view pictures from today’s screening please click here.
RESULTS
295 12-19 year olds were screened with 3 participants diagnosed at risk for sudden cardiac arrest/death and 6 participants diagnosed with previously undetected cardiac abnormalities.
LAGSD President, Skye O’Grady, commented, “Clearly this event was a success when three young local athletes have been diagnosed at risk and six have had abnormalities discovered. These affected families need to know this information so they can prepare and hopefully prevent any future tragedy. We are extremely grateful to the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation for taking the time out of their busy calendar to come and screen our young Carlsbad athletes for free. Having three hundred screened today indicates a very successful event but these numbers suggest that a great deal of our competitive and recreational 12-19 year old players still haven’t been screened so we are strongly encouraging them to do so at the upcoming free screening in Chula Vista.”
Heart abnormalities put about 1 in 100 at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest – a leading cause of death under 25, and the #1 killer of student athletes. Heart screenings are not a part of annual checkups or pre-participation sports physicals, even though most heart conditions have no warning signs or unrecognized symptoms.
The next EP Save A Life free screening event will be on August 28 in Chula Vista. For further info and registration please visit: https://epsavealife.org/register/registration-south-bay/
As a club, we strongly urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to screen your teen.
