TEXAS – You’ve had all of the yearly check-ups and everything seems fine. Still, your child could have a deadly heart condition that could strike at any moment. This terrifying reality led one family to push for more testing to help as many people as possible in the area.
Health reporter Haley Hernandez shares what parents should know about this testing.
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Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading killer of student-athletes. However, testing can catch heart abnormalities if it is done in time. In a mission now spanning over a decade, KPRC 2 and Investigative Reporter Bill Spencer have partnered with the Cody Stephens Foundation to bring about a positive change in the lives of teen athletes.
Scott Stephens, who lost his son Cody to an undiagnosed heart condition, said, “He was a great young man, getting ready to go play college football.” Stephens added, “Didn’t have any idea that he had a heart defect. That would cause him to die, that’s what happened.”
The Cody Stephens Foundation partners with school districts around Texas to provide heart screening.
“We find that about two percent of them have a heart abnormality they need to know about. Usually, it’s completely fixable. Sudden cardiac arrest we believe is preventable. But again, knowledge is key,” Scott said.
“It’s kind of a story of their love and their loss and dedication and saved my child’s life. So, I don’t know how to thank them,” said Karen Scott.
Cody’s legacy of bringing heart testing to schools saved Karen’s son Jacob.
“But if it wasn’t for that EKG testing at school, we would have never known about this ever,” Jacob said.
Jacob had the quick, five-minute test done at Seven Lakes High School in Katy.
He shared, “They found that I had an anomaly in my heart, and they told me, you’re going to have open heart surgery.” He added, “It could lead to cardiac or sudden cardiac arrest. So, learning about that was definitely a bit of a shock.”
Last August, he had surgery to correct the abnormality in his coronary artery. He’s still recovering and is expected to return to sports. Jacob reflected, “I think the hardest part for me was kind of thinking about what could have happened if we’d never figured it out, if we never got that test. If we never got tested, I would have never known.”
He urged others, “Please get EKGs or heart testing, I could shake the camera. I would. I want more people to know what I’ve gone through, what others have gone through, and sadly didn’t make it. And what we can do to fix that or to prevent something like that from happening.”
More than 160,000 people have been screened through the Cody Stephens Foundation.
This Saturday is National Heart Screening Day. There will be testing at Sugar Land City Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s open to anyone ages 11-24. Register for spots here.
