Heart screening offered for area youth

OCEANSIDE – A group of school nurses in Vista wants to make area parents aware of a unique opportunity regarding their child’s health. Approximately one out of every 300 young people is at risk of sudden cardiac arrest due to having an undetected heart abnormality.

Often there are no symptoms and tragically, San Diego County alone loses at least 12 youth every year due to sudden cardiac arrest. It is the No. 1 killer of student-athletes and a leading cause of death on school campuses. It is also largely preventable.

The nurses strongly encourage parents to register each of their children ages 12-25 for the free heart screening event that will be taking place at Mission Vista High School, 1306 Melrose Drive, in Oceanside Sunday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walk-ins are also welcomed.

Heart screenings are not a part of routine medical check-ups or pre-sports physicals, so the team of school nurses in Vista Unified School District have partnered with the Eric Paredes Save-A-Life Foundation to offer free heart screenings to every young person in their community. The foundation has provided over 33,000 free heart screenings since its inception 10 years ago.

Heart screenings are quick, painless and can prevent a senseless tragedy like the one that took Eric Paredes’s life.

Visit http://www.epsavealife.org/register for more information and to sign up for a free screening.

Submitted by Eric Paredes Save-A-Life Foundation.