PAGE A10 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • November 09, 2017
Town
Photos by Kevin Redding
Above, a boy is shown how to perform CPR during a free heart screening event held by Shoreham-Wading River girl Scout Jordan McClintock, at center on left, with the help of a $400,000 grant given to her by Melinda Murray, on left, and Karen Acompora, on right, the founders of Copiague-based Heart Screen new york
Shoreham-WR Girl Scout shows a lot of heart By Kevin Redding kevin@tbrnewspapers.com A Shoreham-Wading River senior showed a lot of heart by making sure her fellow students and community members got theirs checked out. Jordan McClintock, a 17-year-old Girl Scout, saw the culmination of a two-year Gold Award project Saturday, Oct. 14, as Albert G. Prodell Middle School’s gymnasium became a mini medical center fully staffed with cardiologists, physicians and nurse practitioners from hospitals across the state, bringing with them life-saving equipment. The medical professionals provided more than 400 registrants — between the ages 12 and 25 — with free, all-day heart screenings in an effort to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest, the leading cause of death in young athletes. With help from a $400,000 grant by Copiague-based Heart Screen New York, McClintock’s event allowed students from Shoreham-Wading River and beyond to get thorough cardiovascular screenings, which included an electrocardiogram test, a blood pressure reading and final consultation with medical professionals. Pediatric cardiologists were available in case further testing was needed and students were given handsonly CPR and automatic external defibrillator training after their exams. As heart screenings are not generally covered by health insurance, the event also made it possible for parents to evaluate a crucial component of their children’s health without spending up to $1,000 per exam. “This is amazing,” said Maureen MacDowell, whose son, a cross-country runner at the school, was screened Saturday. “It’s a huge deal that the girl who organized this
founder of Heart Screen New York. did so. It’s definitely worth having.” Acompora lost her 14-year-old son to a Marlene Baumeister, the mother of a football player, said other school districts sudden cardiac arrest during a high school should use the event as a model for their lacrosse game in 2000 after a ball struck his chest between heartbeats. She and Melinda own heart screenings. Tony Zajac, a Shoreham-Wading River par- Murray, a Queens-based mother whose son collapsed on a basketball court and died ent and coach, called the program excellent. “It’s very educational for these kids and from an undetected heart condition, formed more in-depth than I thought,” Zajac said. Heart Screen New York together as a way “It gives them feedback on their own heart to detect heart trouble in local youths and health while teaching them how to poten- prevent as many deaths as possible. Heart Screen New York hosts only two tially save somebody else’s life.” screenings per year due to Sudden cardiac arrests the expenses and resources claim the lives of more than needed for each one. 2,000 people under 25 in “I thought it was an the country every year, acamazing program and cording to the American would be great if I could Academy of Pediatrics, and bring it to Shoreham,” Mcyet they are not included in Clintock said. “Out here most routine physical exams we’ve never really had anyor pre-participation sports thing like this that’s free physicals. One out of 100 and promotes cardiovascustudents that attend a heart lar health in student-athscreening will discover an letes and the community in underlying heart condition. general. I was very inspired “If I can save one life — Jordan McClintock by Karen’s story.” with early detection, my McClintock’s perseverwork for the past two years ance paid off, literally, early will have been all worth it,” said McClintock, an aspiring pediatrician. last year when Heart Screen New York rep“I’m really hoping it initiates some conver- resentatives informed her Shoreham-Wadsations among my peers and their families.” ing River would be the site of their October The Girl Scout developed her project 2017 screening. “I think the screening is certainly openas a freshman after she got her own heart screening done at St. Francis Hospital in Ro- ing a lot of eyes in the Shoreham community slyn, which was offered in partnership with and Jordan’s done such a nice job of adverHeart Screen New York, based on her fam- tising and promoting the event,” Acompora said. A founder of another group called the ily’s history of cardiac problems. It was through the procedure, which she Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation, in referred to as “painless” and “relieving,” memory of her son, the Northport mother that McClintock began her years-long cor- hopes heart screenings will eventually berespondence with Karen Acompora, the co- come a mandatory part of physicals. In fact,
‘If I can save one life with early detection, my work for the past two years will have been all worth it.’
she and Murray have been pushing legislation for years to make electrocardiograms part of student-athlete’s pre-participation screening process. “There’s a lack of knowledge on the part of individuals who feel it’s too costly to do heart screenings, but how do you put a price tag on life?” said Murray, whose 17-year-old son Dominic died in 2009, exactly three years after his father died from a massive heart attack. “We’re really proud of Jordan. It’s having a great impact at the school and is really spreading the awareness of the importance of heart screenings.” Among the volunteers at the event was Shoreham senior and baseball player Jack Crowley, who, two years ago, at 15 years old, was declared medically dead after a line drive hit him in the chest. Crowley’s heart stopped and he was unable to breathe. He was brought back to life from the shock of an automatic external defibrillator — which Heart Screen New York had pushed to make available in as many locations as possible. “They’re the reason I’m here,” Crowley said. “Get a heart screening. It’s so much better than learning the hard way that you have an issue.” Senior volleyball player Lindsay Deegan said of the screening: “This is something I never would’ve thought of doing this before, so it’s cool to know what’s going on.” McClintock is expected to receive her Gold Award during a ceremony in Spring 2018. “Girl Scouts pledge to help people at all times, and Jordan’s stellar work truly exemplifies that promise,” said Yvonne Grant, president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. “Jordan’s Gold Award project is an inspiring and extraordinary way to bring awareness.”