KPRC2 Senior Scholarship winner, Sammy Berko, has a rare heart condition.
It was discovered when he was declared dead but came back to life. His family believes that happened for a reason and here’s what they want everyone to know about sudden arrhythmia death syndromes (SADS).
“They’re all considered rare conditions, although they’re probably not as rare as we think they are because it is very difficult to diagnose,” explained Jennifer Berko.
Jennifer Berko is Sammy’s mother, and soon after their family tragedies, she started working for The Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation.
In 2023, Sammy Berko was climbing a rock wall when he collapsed and received more than two hours of CPR.
That amount of CPR is shocking to survive, and initially, emergency responders said he had died, but to everyone’s surprise, Sammy survived. His survival sheds light on a previous family tragedy. His younger brother Frankie died.
“They diagnosed him with epilepsy, which wasn’t, we know now, a final diagnosis. That was a symptom,” Jennifer said.
Seizures, fainting, early death in the family, and a sudden racing heart rate, can all be symptoms of a heart problem waiting to erupt, according to Jennifer.
“I know in my bones, I was there when Sammy woke up, and I just know Frankie was there being like, ‘No, this isn’t your time. You’re the one that’s going to survive. You’re the one that’s going to, you know, change the world when it comes to these conditions.’” Jennifer said.
They now know Frankie, Sammy, and Jennifer all had the same rare heart condition (CPVT).
After Sammy’s miraculous recovery, Jennifer reflected on her own life of symptoms with dizziness and fainting, which make sense now.
She can take medication to reduce her chance of a major, deadly episode. Although 90% don’t survive a sudden cardiac episode, Jennifer is making it her mission to find those people and save them with this information.
She works with The SADS foundation to educate parents, she says:
- Ask for testing beyond an EKG. You may need more extensive testing or genetic testing.
- Push for genetic testing when symptoms like dizziness, fainting or seizures don’t make sense with your medical history.
“You know, our family has experienced this on a level that most don’t, and I feel like in honor of Frankie, in memory of Frankie, it’s only right to offer up whatever skills I have to the foundation,” she said.
Sammy has not let his personal setbacks keep him from accomplishing amazing things. He is now a senior in high school and plans to attend Vanderbilt in the fall.
