Downers Grove South High to Offer Free Cardiac Screenings for Students

Click to sign up your student here. 

Downers Grove South will host free cardiac screenings May 17 and 18 provided by the Young Hearts for Life. 

According to a district release, it is estimated that each week, sudden cardiac death claims the lives of more than 30 young adults in the United States. The leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults is triggered by a hidden heart defect. A quick, noninvasive test that can signal the presence of a serious, but treatable, heart condition is called an ECG (electrocardiogram).

The YH4L program is a free program offered by Midwest Heart Foundation sponsored by the Ken Holland Memorial Fund. The screenings consist of trained volunteers working in pairs to perform ECGs on students. More information about the program is available at www.midwestheart.org. (Included on the web site is a video featuring a 2011 South High graduate whose life was impacted by this program!) 

A screening cannot be performed without parent permission.  If you experience problems with the registration process, questions can be directed to Johneen Davis at 630-785-4366 or johneen.davis@advocatehealth.com. 

Volunteers needed 

While the Midwest Heart Foundation will run the program, volunteers are needed to make this opportunity available. Parents, grandparents, neighbors and college students are all invited and encouraged to volunteer. Volunteers are needed on both May 17 and 18. Each shift lasts four hours, from 7:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Volunteers must be trained on how to perform the ECGs. Training will be offered on Wednesday, May 16, at South High at either 5:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Each training session lasts 90 minutes.   

Email YH4Lvolunteer@csd99.org if you can help or if you have any questions about volunteering. Please note know which shift or shifts you can work and the training session that you will attend.