Families who have lost a child to cardiac conditions have faced the unimaginable. Many have shown extraordinary courage by turning their grief into a search for solutions that protect other children to help ensure no one else endures the pain they’ve lived through.

The heart is a complex organ, and there’s no single test that can detect all indicators of heart conditions. That’s why the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology support an evidence-based, layered approach* — one that surrounds young people with protection by checking for problems early so they can be monitored and treated as early as possible and being prepared for emergencies.

This starts at a student’s well visit or sports physical. Their health care professional performs a heart screening, which includes reviewing personal and family history, as well as a physical exam. This screening is the best way to identify serious conditions that may need additional testing.

And because cardiac emergencies can still happen, every school needs a cardiac emergency response plan which includes training school staff and coaches in CPR and AED use.

This evidence-based approach empowers families and health care professionals to decide together what’s best and help every child stay healthy and safe from the playground to the playoffs.

*Layered approach includes the screening, any follow-up testing deemed necessary by a health care professional and cardiac emergency response plans

Join us in advocating for science-based heart screening for students.