Who We Play For Youth Heart Screening Day Set Feb. 1 at Bill Posey Conference Center in Viera
By Space Coast Daily // January 24, 2025
One in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk of sudden cardiac arrest or death
Who We Play For will offer free heart screenings in Brevard County on National Youth Heart Screening Day, Saturday, February 1, 2025. This event will be held at the Department of Health, Bill Posey Conference Center, 2555 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, FL 32940. Screenings get underway at 9 a.m. and will conclude at 1 p.m. Registration is available at HERE.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – February is National Heart Month, and to raise awareness about the 23,000 children and young adults lost each year to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), Parent Heart Watch is announcing the first-ever National Youth Heart Screening Day, set for Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Who We Play For is one of 22 partner sites in communities nationwide for this landmark initiative and will offer free heart screenings on February 1 in Brevard on National Youth Heart Screening Day for ages 10 to 22 at the Department of Health, Bill Posey Conference Center, 2555 Judge Fran Jamieson Way in Viera.
Registration is available at HERE.
“One in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk of sudden cardiac arrest or death. Early screening with a simple electrocardiogram (ECG) regardless of their level of physical activity can prevent these tragedies,” said Stacy Cartechine, parent of a child who lost their life to sudden cardiac arrest.
“National Youth Heart Screening Day is a call to action for Every Kid. Every Heart. to be screened for heart-related issues, which supports the HEARTS Act, just signed into law by President Biden to help combat the 23,000-youth lost each year to SCA.
”Among several sudden cardiac arrest prevention initiatives to protect young hearts, the HEARTS Act has established a new national focus on cardiomyopathy education, awareness, and risk assessment to better understand heart conditions that put youth at risk and ultimately evolve the standard of care.
Across 15 states, partner organizations will offer free heart screenings on February 1. These screenings aim to educate the public about warning signs, family heart history, and risk factors that are often missed or misdiagnosed. The initiative highlights the importance of comprehensive early detection screening, which identifies more youth at risk for SCA, and how anyone can save an SCA victim by using CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) in a cardiac emergency.
The Who We Play For event on National Youth Heart Screening Day includes non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG) interpreted by physicians proficient in the interpretation of ECG in the population being screened, and hands-only CPR and AED use demonstrations. Sponsored by the Florida Department of Health, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Space Coast Fire Chiefs’ Association, and the City of Titusville Fire Department, this event is surely not one to miss!
Registration is available at HERE.
Who We Play For is a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating preventable sudden cardiac death in the young through providing affordable heart screenings and relentless advocacy.
WWPF has provided heart screenings for hundreds of thousands of young people and identified hundreds of life-threatening heart conditions requiring immediate medical intervention. WWPF has also helped to pass more than 30 laws, educate millions on SCA through policy, train millions in CPR, place thousands of AEDs, and has been featured hundreds of times in news outlets such as Good Morning America.
Parent Heart Watch (PHW) is the national organization solely dedicated to protecting children and young adults from sudden cardiac arrest and preventable sudden cardiac death by educating and advocating for change. PHW together with member organizations, medical professionals and advocates across 40 states have provided preventive heart screenings to 1,145,513 youth, trained 835,756 individuals in CPR and AED use, and provided 11,697 AEDs to youth-serving organizations.
For information on National Youth Heart Screening Day and to learn more about SCA in children and young adults, visit https://bit.ly/nyhsd.
