Championship Hearts Foundation is partnering with the Christian Harman Memorial Golf Tournament to coordinate a free heart screening for Bastrop County teens ages 14-18. This year’s event will take place Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bastrop High School. The Christian Harman Memorial Golf Tournament sponsors this annual free event. Named in memory of Christian Harman, a standout golfer at Bastrop High School, who died at age 19 from sudden cardiac arrest due to a hidden heart condition, this screening is to serve the teens of Bastrop County.

With approximately 1 in 250 students at risk for heart abnormalities, both athletes and non-athletes are encouraged to get their heart screened for possible genetic heart conditions. This includes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): the leading cause of cardiac death in young people.

Parents are invited and encouraged to accompany their students during the test. Results are immediate. Online pre-registration is required through champhearts.org. Additionally, students must have a signed parental waiver in order to receive the heart screening. The waiver is available to print from the pre-registration website and will be available at the event. Adults and high school volunteers are needed, and can register at champhearts.org.

"Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other underlying heart conditions often do not impair physical activity. However, these conditions may allow for heart beat problems and result in Sudden Cardiac Death,” said Dr. Arnold Fenrich, President of the non-profit, Championship Hearts Foundation. “Warning signs to be aware of include palpitations, dizziness or syncope, chest pain/chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Any of these signs/symptoms occurring during exercise warrant further evaluation.”

The Championship Hearts screening includes a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and a limited two-dimensional echocardiogram (ECHO, or picture of the heart) to detect HCM, along with several other conditions predisposing to sudden cardiac death. Both the ECG and ECHO are noninvasive, painless and valued at over $700; these tests are not included in standard pre-participation sports physical examinations. The Championship Hearts screening model is recognized by the Texas Chapter of the American College of Cardiology as a quality initiative.

Volunteer cardiologists from Pediatric & Congenital Cardiology Associates, Ascension/Seton Heart & Vascular, and Texas Children’s Hospital, provide medical support and the complimentary use of facilities at Bastrop High School provide a convenient screening location. Screening results are immediate.

The Miller family took advantage of a CHF Free Teen Heart Screening. “We’re incredibly grateful for the Championship Hearts Foundation and the service they provide,” Tom Miller says. “Normally, the screenings provide a check-the-box activity giving a person confidence regarding their health. In rare, abnormal cases, it can make a difference between life and death.”

For more information or to register for the screening, visit the Foundation’s website (www.champhearts.org) or phone (512) 900-3243 ext. 4 or (888) 884-6945.

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