On Dec. 2, The Overlake School will hold an event that could possibly save lives.
The Redmond school, at 20301 N.E. 108th St., will hold a Nick of Time Foundation heart screening event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in its field house.
And while the event is being held at Overlake, it is open to all students and young people in the community, ages 14-24.
“It’s open to anyone,” said Mike Fine, athletic trainer for Overlake.
He said they have been in contact with schools in the immediate area such as The Bear Creek School and Redmond High School and they have the capacity to see up to 500 people. The screenings are free, but Fine, who has been involved with Nick of Time screenings for three years, said the foundation has a suggested tax-deductible donation of $25. He said no one will be turned away if they are unable to afford the suggested donation. However, Fine said they ask that people sign up ahead of time as some of the paperwork they must fill out requires some information regarding their medical history. For more information or to sign up, contact Jacqui Jackson at Overlake at jjackson@overlake.org or by calling (425) 868-6191 ext. 635. People can also visit the Nick of Time website at nickoftimefoundation.org for more information.
Fine said the screenings will help detect certain precursors — such as mechanical or electrical problems — that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest — a condition that strikes high school-aged students once every three days, nationwide.
During the screenings, boys and girls will be separated. Members of the fire department will take students’ blood pressures and pulses and doctors will listen to their hearts. There will also be a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) test — Fine noted that the Cardea-Screen device used in the screenings utilizes technology developed by a former Overlake parent.
Fine added that there are no blood tests or needles involved and if the doctors find anything of concern, they will ask the individual to go in for an ultrasound, which will happen the same day, onsite. Screenings are reviewed onsite by cardiologists and sports physicians experienced in heart screens.
In addition, the students will also go through CPR and automated external defibrillators (AED) training.
Fine said the idea is that if they are present when someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest, they will know what to do.
He said it is not clear what causes sudden cardiac arrest in young people, but they do see it occur in more active individuals.
“It does happen to athletes, but it does happen to the average student,” Fine said.
He recommends the heart screening for any active student, noting that a few years ago, a student at Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood went into sudden cardiac arrest while warming up during a PE class.
Susan Messier, director of communications for Overlake, added that because the students are active and in sports, they are not typically considered “unhealthy.”
Fine agreed, saying that at a screening event in Renton a few months ago, two students out of about 250 screened had issues that needed a follow up and he would not have been able to say which ones they were just by looking at them.
Fine said the Nick of Time Foundation was founded by a family whose son Nick — a football player — died of sudden cardiac arrest at age 16. According to the foundation’s website, the family is “committed to keeping others with hidden cardiac problems alive. We cannot afford to lose any more of our bright future.”
“I am so excited that we are able to bring such a compassionate and dedicated organization right into the Overlake community,” Fine said. “It is such a great honor to have the Nick of Time organization and all of the surrounding community volunteers here on campus to perform a screening for the young people. The Nick of Time is truly an example of taking a personal tragedy and turning it into a greater good by educating and screening so many students. It is my hope that families will take advantage of this screening as this type of opportunity could not be more convenient or accessible.”
