Slideshow photos by Maryn Otto
Off duty career and volunteer firefighters of Enumclaw Fire / King County Fire District No. 28, along side nurses, doctors and community volunteers joined with Enumclaw School District and the Nick of Time Foundation to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
“Being the parent of a student athlete, as well as the Fire Chief in Enumclaw, I am very pleased to partner with the Nick of Time Foundation to provide free cardiac screenings to our local high school students,” said Joe Clow, fire chief of Enumclaw King County Fire District 28. “It’s really great to see how the local community came together with Nick of Time to provide the necessary support to bring this event to Enumclaw.”
“Having done CPR on a young lady with a sudden cardiac arrest, I am thankful for the opportunity to help out and hopefully prevent a future tragedy in our community.” said Ryan Rodenberg, a firefighter with EKing County Fire District 28.
In honor of October’s National Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month, Nick of Time Foundations (NoTF) and the Enumclaw School District held a Youth Heart Screening at Enumclaw High School Oct. 2.
On average, a seemingly healthy young person suffers sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) every three days in the U.S. In most SCA cases, cardiac abnormalities are not detected, there are no warning sings, and unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within minutes, death is the end result.
“Having been a high school athlete myself I really appreciate what the Nick of Time Foundation is doing for our young athletes. If we can help recognize an undiagnosed heart condition in just one young person it is all worth it.” said Lyle Bellah, vice president of Enumclaw Firefighters Local 3931.
“The leading cause of death among young athletes is not head injury or trauma during sports, but sudden cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Jon Drezner, a UW Medicine family physician who specializes in sports medicine and Nick of Time Foundation Medical Director. “In fact, on average, every three days in the U.S., a young athlete dies during training or play from sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the
heart loses its normal rhythm and stops beating. Unless the person is quickly resuscitated, it is fatal. The conditions that put young athletes at risk for sudden cardiac arrest are fairly common.
As many as one in 250 to one in 300 young athletes have a heart disorder that may increase their risk of sudden cardiac arrest. In some cases, these disorders are inherited and sometimes they are ‘acquired’ but most have no warning signs before suffering a SCA.”
There is an urgent need to study a contemporary model of cardiac screening in the young to assist in the development and implementation of youth cardiovascular screening guidelines in the U.S. No athlete should suffer cardiac arrest when we have the tools to prevent it.
These screenings are intended to identify undetected heart conditions in youth – particularly student athletes, which might increase their risk of SCA. Most youth sport physical examinations do not include screenings for cardiac abnormalities. In addition to the screenings, attendees will be instructed on how to perform compression-only CPR and in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) so that they
can respond to an SCA victim.
For the past 10 months Nick of Time Foundation (NoTF) has been working closely with Carol Gunderson-NoTF Enumclaw Community Champion, Mike Nelson- ESD Superintendent and the administration from Enumclaw High School to bring this event for students. Because of their efforts and the community support generated for this event, NoTF was able to provide 300+ Enumclaw High School Students with a FREE Youth Heart Screening.
Community Supporters who generously donated included: Enumclaw Rotary, Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw Fire/King County Fire District 28, Enumclaw Firefighters L3931, King County Medic One, Enumclaw Football Foundation, Enumclaw Schools Foundation, Enumclaw Lions Club, Dr. Paul & Mary Gunderson, Allen’s Furniture, Helac Corp., Park Center Hotel, Fugate Ford Mazda, DP West, Inc, Rick Bathum, Babbit Insurance Group, Tres Amigos 1, LLC, Sapphire Properties and Griffin Properties LP.
About the Nick of Time Foundation The Nick of Time Foundation is dedicated to educating schools, athletes, families, and communities about the SCA and death in young people. Nick of Time provides an array of programs to foster an awareness
of SCA and help lessen its hidden potential to strike children and young adults at any time.
