Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in student athletes. Often, people with SCA have no prior diagnosis or warning.
In a mission now spanning over a decade, KPRC 2 and Investigative Reporter Bill Spencer have partnered with the Cody Stephens Foundation to bring heart testing for young adults.
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1 in 300 youth unknowingly has a heart condition that puts them at risk for SCA, and standard sports physicals — which typically only involve a stethoscope check — miss most of them.
That’s why getting your child an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), a simple, painless heart test, is so important.
SEE ALSO: ‘Bright, beautiful smile’: Montgomery teen athlete dies after suffering fatal heart attack
The Cody Stephens Foundation, in partnership with KPRC 2 and Harris County Emergency Services District 11, is offering free ECG heart screenings for youth ages 11 to 22.
- Sunday, August 17th
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Harris County ESD 11 Headquarters 18334 Stuebner Airline Road, Spring, TX
You can register online now or walk in on the day of the event if slots are full. No child will be turned away.
At the heart screening event, families will:
- Fill out a brief health history form
- Receive an electrocardiogram (ECG) performed in a private area (boys and girls in separate rooms)
- Get results in 3–5 days
- Participate in a short CPR training session — critical knowledge for parents and teens alike
This program has already screened over 100,000 kids across Texas and identified more than 300 youth who needed immediate medical intervention.
The Cody Stephens Foundation hosts heart screening events several times each year.
There are not many options for free heart screenings, but we rounded up a few low-cost options in our area.
Lifeline Urgent Care
EKG Urgent Care Houston | Lifeline Urgent Care
- 13410 Briar Forest Dr, Suite 190
- Houston, TX 77077
- $60
- Walk-ins welcome
Access Health Clinic
Access Health Clinic - Walk in Clinic, Family Care and Minor Care
- 6402 Louetta Road, Suite 140
- Spring, Texas 77379
- $25
- Walk-ins welcome
TRS Health
TRS Health: Affordable Health Clinic in Houston, Texas
- 12805 Capricorn St.
- Stafford, TX 77477
- $75
- Walk-ins welcome
Ibn Sina Children’s Clinic
https://childrensclinic.ibnsinafoundation.org/
- 11220 Wilcrest Dr.
- Houston, TX 77099
- $55
- Walk-ins welcome
- Other heart testing options
If you know of other low-cost or free heart testing options in the Houston area, let us know in the comments below and email Bill Spencer at bspencer@kprc.com.
Of course, you can also contact your child’s pediatrician to ask about other types of heart screenings. Often, these procedures are in a hospital and require insurance (and possibly facility fees), so the fees will be higher.
