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Oak Park River Forest High School hosted the 1st free cardiac screening for all students with Young Hearts for Life in October 2016 and identified FIVE (5) students for further screening.  That's 5 teens and their families who didn't know they had a potentially life-threatening cardiac condition!

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  Young Hearts for Life Info Sheet

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   Letter to Parents from Dr. Marek 

 

 Every week the story doesn't end happily for nearly 60 students in the same  age range. In fact, we've all heard of such endings in the greater Chicago area as well as the rest of the nation. Young lives lost with no  hint that anything could go wrong. 

 

How did this all start?  On October 5, 2014, a then Oak Park River Forest High School junior collapsed on the sidelines while at a hockey game from a sudden cardiac  event. Seemingly in perfect health, there were no prior indications that  something like this would occur. Thankfully, and only coincidentally, a  trained medical practitioner was a spectator at the game and revived  the student.  Fortunately, a concerned group of  OPRFHS parents was able to connect members of the medical board and administrative staff of Young Hearts for Life, the largest youth heart screening program in the United States, with the OPRFHS Administration.  They presented how the screening process itself is not invasive and  completely painless. Because YH4L commits to educating and training  volunteers for this (1) day screening, and through the generous support  of donors like you, it is offered free of charge to ALL students at a  high school, NOT just athletes. 

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