HEALTH:
Dying to play scholastic sports
House bill would allow schools to raise money
to combat cardiac arrest on their playing fields
By Steve Shermanto combat cardiac arrest on their playing fields
Sports Editor
On Oct. 12, 2000, Bucks County soccer mom Toni Pelligrini witnessed a tragedy no parent should ever have to watch—the death of her 15-year-old son Louis T. Savino III.
Savino collapsed on the playing field during practice being held that day at Macclesfield. A William Penn Charter School sophomore, Louis had a congenital heart defect he was not aware of. Despite efforts by his coaches to revive him using CPR, Louis died of a condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), also known as an enlarged heart.
While much has been done to avert the outcome at Macclesfield that day nine years ago including the addition of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) kept on site at most high schools and athletic facilities, ultrasound technology expert Bill Mlkvy says it’s not enough.
Mlkvy wants to see scholastic athletes around the state tested for heart defects. If House Bill 1803 is passed in the current legislative session of the Pennsylvania Assembly, Mlkvy, a 6-4 Temple Owls forward who led the nation in scoring in 1951 before being drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Warriors, just might get his way.
Sponsored by State Rep. John J. Siptroth (D—189), the bill would require school districts to expand their ability to respond to victims of cardiac arrest. The bill is focused on CPR training and the ability of school officials to restart a non-beating heart through the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). The legislation, if passed, wouldn’t require school districts to screen athletes for cardiovascular problems but would rather allow schools to seek donations to fund such testing.
“It would allow fundraising efforts so school districts wouldn’t have to use taxpayer dollars,” said Mlkvy, a former Temple basketball player who in 1951, scored 73 points in a single NCAA game vs. Wilkes College, 54 of which were consecutive points for the Owls.
After witnessing on television the death of a 17-year-old rower from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), Mlkvy and his Newtown-based Ultrasound Services, Inc. company set out to develop a series of tests that would identify athletes who were at risk of suffering any type of cardiac stress on the playing field.
It’s offices on Blacksmith Road, Mlkvy's company was recently selected by the NFL to screen athletes from six pro football teams including the Philadelphia Eagles, the NY Jets and the Baltimore Ravens. Ultrasound Services was selected over Johns Hopkins University and the Mayo Clinic for its mobility, says Mlkvy.
“We can go right into the locker room with our screening protocol,” said Big Bill, also known as the Owl Without a Vowel.
While three teams at Pennsbury were recently screened for cardiovascular risk by Mlkvy’s company, the cost of the test—$125—was paid for by the Savino Foundation, a Yardley-based organization established in Louis’ memory to combat sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
According to the Savino Foundation Web site, more than 450 high school and college athletes have died nationwide since 1982. Most were victims of heart failure, it says. Louis was one of more than 20 high school students who succumbed to SCA in 2000.
Since then, there have been many others, some from lower Bucks.
Chris Block is a 1985 Pennsbury High School graduate and hoops star who was inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Four years ago, Block died suddenly in his sleep. He was 38. An autopsy revealed a heart defect—he had succumbed to the same condition that took Savino’s life.
Still, schools are reluctant to sign up for the testing, says Mlkvy. He says school districts put themselves at risk of lawsuits if and when a scholastic athlete dies from heart failure.
“Schools are vulnerable; the administrators just don’t get it,” says Mlkvy. “We have to get the word out.
“We’re saving lives and that is significant.”
Mlkvy would like to see more research done on the phenomena. He says fact-finding statements taken from athletes including family health histories, can significantly cut down on the number of students who would need to be screened.
Labels: Pennsbury
1 Comments:
The word "dying" is misspelled in the headline.
That is utterly pathetic.
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