Screen your teen event checks hearts at Mission Bay High

PACIFIC BEACH – On Sunday, Oct. 25, Mission Bay High hosted the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation’s screen your teen event for students between the ages of 12 to 25.

Nearly 800 students from MBHS, Coronado, and San Diego High, to Del Norte High in Poway and Beckman High in Tustin went through the youth cardiac screening.

The Eric Paredes Foundation was started as a tribute to Eric, who was a healthy Steele Canyon High sophomore athlete who died suddenly and unexpectedly from sudden cardiac arrest/death (SCA/D) in 2009. His parents, Hector and Rhina Paredes, established EP Save A Life Foundation to honor him through their commitment to prevent this tragedy from affecting other families.

The foundation’s executive director, Amanda Baumann, said that more than 130 volunteers worked to screen 800 young athletes at MBHS on Oct. 25.

“Our volunteers include cardiologists, registered nurses, EKG technicians, nursing students and college students,” Baumann said. “Each screening takes about an hour to complete. Each athlete visits up to eight stations from check-in to CPR and AED training, to have a 12-lead EKG completed.

“Each person screened is given two copies of their EKG. The final stations include reading the EKG, an onsite Echocardiogram if recommended, and a final check by a cardiologist. Out of pocket costs for an athlete to receive this type of screening privately could easily total $2,000 if not more.”

Saving lives is paramount to the foundation’s mission. Each year thousands of kids die from sudden cardiac arrest, according to the foundation. From primary care to heart screenings, CPR/AED training to cardiac emergency response plans, each could mean the difference between life and death.

According to the Mayo Clinic, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. Estimates vary, but some reports say that about 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 100,000 young athletes dies of sudden cardiac death each year.

Warning signs and risk factors are often missed or misdiagnosed because typical checkups and sports physicals do not include comprehensive cardiac risk assessment. According to the Save A Life Foundation, medical experts say that EKGs are the best tool to identify these potentially fatal abnormalities, yet they are not part of most kids preventative care, which is why the foundation offers them for free. Screenings are quick, painless and could save a life.

The Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation conducts six large screenings each year in San Diego County. The next one is on Dec. 6 at Rancho Buena Vista High. Visit https://epsavealife.org to register.