Cardiologists, local nonprofit encourage heart screenings for teens following Palatka teen’s death

PALATKA, Fla. — Student athlete heart screenings are gaining attention after a Palatka High School football player died in his sleep following complaints of chest pains earlier in the day.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Action News Jax spoke with a cardiologist at Baptist Hospitals who says she’s familiar with cases like this. She said that of the 13 pediatric cardiologists with the hospitals, they probably each see one young person every 3 or 4 months. She says that’s frequent.

She also said many factors that go into sudden cardiac arrest and some underlying issues are only caught by a machine called an EKG. One nonprofit is trying to get more young people tested with the device.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Palatka High School football player Robert Gillon III died in his sleep following chest complaints earlier in the day. It’s something Shawn Sima with Who We Play For, a nonprofit screening organization, says he unfortunately sees too often.

“Chest pain is not normal, and you should take it seriously every single time,” he told Action News Jax.

The Palatka Police Department said it was called to a possible cardiac arrest.

Read: Palatka Jr-Sr High School athlete complained of chest pains before his death, police say

Who We Play For provides affordable heart screenings for young people to help eliminate sudden cardiac arrests and do so through machines like an EKG. The nonprofit finds abnormalities in 1 of 300 kids.

“An EKG looks for any change in the pattern of electrical activity. Not all pattern changes are bad, but there are significant findings you can see on an EKG for kids who are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest,” Sima explained.

Clay County parent Christian Broadhurst and his family worked with the group after their son suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while on a run, and thankfully, he’s still alive.

“We won the lottery. I should probably be angry this happened to my son, but I’m not. I’m grateful,” Broadhurst said.

Read: NASA still deciding whether to keep 2 astronauts at space station until next year

Broadhurst said the event changed the direction of his son’s life. He’s now going to go to med school, and he hopes EKG screenings become standard for adolescents rather than just a good idea.

“I think it’s unbelievable it hasn’t been done before now,” said Broadhurst. “It is so inexpensive. It is so much more effective at yielding results, and it’s literally going to save lives.”

The impact director for Who We Play For said screenings are just $20. The cardiologist Action News Jax spoke with said education and awareness are key, as is knowing your family history and other risk factors.

Read: ‘The entire place was surrounded:’ Local restaurant raided by Homeland Security

Sudden cardiac arrest is the sudden loss of all heart activity due to an irregular heart rhythm, according to Mayo Clinic. Some symptoms of ASCA include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, weakness and a fast-beating heart.

If you experience any of these symptoms, doctors say to call 911 or go to the emergency room.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.