February is National Heart Month and to raise awareness about the 23,000 children and young adults lost each year to sudden cardiac arrest, Parent Heart Watch is announcing the first ever National Youth Heart Screening Day, set for Saturday, Feb. 1. The Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation is part of this landmark initiative.
The Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation was founded in 2010 by an East County family who lost their son to an undetected heart condition that caused sudden cardiac arrest. Typical well-child checks and sports physicals do not provide preventative EKGs, so these conditions are often missed or misdiagnosed. The foundation has provided nearly 43,000 free screenings to youth ages 12 to 25 for 15 years. These screenings aim to educate the public about warning signs, family heart history and risk factors that are often missed or misdiagnosed. The initiative highlights the importance of comprehensive early detection screening, which identifies more youth at risk for SCA, and how anyone can save an SCA victim by using CPR and an automated external defibrillator in a cardiac emergency.
Eric Parades was a healthy Steele Canyon High School sophomore athlete who died suddenly and unexpectedly from Sudden Cardiac Arrest/Death in 2009. His parents, Hector and Rhina Paredes, established Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation to honor him through their commitment to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families. Saving lives is paramount to our mission and prevention is our goal.
The EP Save A Life Foundation is holding free screenings to youth in San Diego County at West Hills High School in Santee on Feb. 1, from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Registration secures a spot, but day-of walk-ins are welcome after 12 p.m.
Hector Paredes said he found his son collapsed on the floor 15 years ago.
“He was a Steele Canyon High School athlete. He played football and wrestled. We did not know that he had an undetected heart condition. That is unfortunate, because pre-participation physicals do not include an electrocardiogram or an EKG, a cardio history evaluation. We are working to change that,” he said. “We created the nonprofit now dedicated to raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest. One in 300 of young people are now walking around with a heart condition, and now we know that 23,000 youth lose their lives to an undetected heart condition.”
Paredes said this next heart screening event at West Hills High is a special day.
“It is also Heart Month, but it is part of National Heart Screening Day, which is a collaborative effort between the national organization Parent Heart Watch, and 24 other nonprofits across 15 states. The Eric Parades Foundation is proud to be partnering with that effort, with a goal on Feb. 1, we hope to screen 10,000 kids,” he said.
Paredes said this is one of its programs, and they are all free. He said any youth in San Diego County can have this heart screening by registering for this event.
The EP Save A Life Foundation also has heart screening events on March 30 at El Capitan High School, and on June 8 at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA.
To register for this event, visit https://bit.ly/4hpeN2l.
For information on National Youth Heart Screening Day and to learn more about SCA in children and young adults, visit https://bit.ly/nyhsd.
