Legacy offers to screen 300 teen athletes for heart problems

Student athletes have the chance to be screened for heart problems, including the kind that probably killed a 13-year-old Vancouver boy last month, at a July 18 event in Portland.

Cardiac problems in children can go undetected until the worst happens, as it did with Quinn Driscoll, 13, who died June 10. An all-around athlete and apparently healthy, Quinn played football, basketball and baseball. He collapsed and died while running in a physical education class at Wy'East Middle School.

The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle.

"There are a lot of cases where the first symptom is fatal," said Kelly Driscoll, Quinn's mother. "Every kid needs to be screened for heart disease."

Three hundred teen athletes ages 13 to 19 have the chance to receive an exam, valued at $200, for $10 from Legacy Health System, which is underwriting the screenings. The exams do not replace the medical exam required to play school sports.

At the July 18 event, a team of physicians, nurses and technicians will take height, weight and blood pressure measurements; administer an electrocardiogram (EKG); and interview students about their health history. Doctors will recommend follow-up evaluations for students in whom they detect anomalies.

"It's something we feel is really important — being able to provide that information to teens and their families to help them make informed decisions about their medical care," said Julie Reed, a spokeswoman for Legacy Health System.

Bev Heller of Portland founded the screening events in 2006 with the help of Legacy Health. Heller's son David Heller died in 2005 at age 17 of undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which Quinn Driscoll may also have had.

A conclusive determination has yet to be reached.