Ferndale High School offers students free heart screenings and CPR training

FERNDALE, MI. – The gym at Ferndale High School is packed with students on a Saturday morning, but it has nothing to do with the game.

Discussions about heart screening are a topic mostly reserved for adults, but after reports of students dying from sudden cardiac arrest, there is a push to make sure teens know their heart condition.

Leo DiPilato, 13, is like most active eighth-grade students.

“I play basketball, tennis, soccer – I play travel soccer,” he said.

So when his mother suggested that he have his heart checked, he was initially dismissive.

“I really didn’t want to do it,” DiPilato said.

This isn’t exactly how most teenagers want to spend their weekend mornings.

However, this is what can prevent sudden cardiac arrest caused by abnormal heart structure or abnormal rhythm.

“When kids don’t have heart-related symptoms or don’t feel well, they don’t have the option to get cardiac tests like an EKG or echocardiogram with a photo because insurance doesn’t cover them,” said Jen Shea , student heart screening program manager at Corewell Health .

Corewell Health offers help identifying young people at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. He also teaches teenagers how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

This year’s heart examination of students is held in memory of the former athlete.

“In 2013, we had Mario Campbell, Mario Campbell’s kid — we have a hallway named after him downstairs — and he died of heart disease,” said Juan Rickman, director of climate and culture and athletic director at Ferndale Public Schools.

The program is aimed at people aged 13 to 18. In DiPilato’s case, the cardiologist confirms that his follow-up tests were normal. Now he plans to check his heart every year.

The next heart screening will be Feb. 1 at West Bloomfield High School and is part of a nationwide movement for children who want to have heart screenings.

Corewell Health reports that specialists have performed more than 21,000 heart tests on students since the program began in 2007.