Early screening can and will save lives

I was reading an article on CNN, and after reading it and watching the video by Campbell Brown, I cried for 5 minutes.  You can read the same article by following this link.  I've had the benefit and privilege of being able to afford specialized treatment for my heart disease that my parents (and I) have known I've had since the day I was born.  The hardest thing is for children and adults who have no family medical history and seem relatively healthy, when in fact just like the children and teens in that article, could drop dead at any moment.  If your child isn't born with heart disease, you'll probably never know if she or he has a problem with their heart until they collapse on the soccer field, or worse die of a heart attack while in high school. 

Congenital heart disease patients know better than anyone the price of cardiac care and the number of tests it can take to diagnose and treat patients.  However, with a simple EKG partients and their children can easily find out if they are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.  Is it really going to take a pro athlete to die on the basketball court, baseball field, or hockey arena for doctors, insurance companies, and most importantly parents to realize the importance of early detection and screening?  I certainly hope not.

It's my hope that one day EKGs to detect possible cardiac conditions in children and young adults will be just as common as the flu shot.

It will save lives.