INDIANAPOLIS — An IUPUI student-athlete whose pre-sports screening detected a life-threatening heart condition this summer is now able to return to the field.
We first introduced you to Max Guidry back in July when the required EKG screening for sports at IUPUI detected he had a condition called Long QT syndrome.
Monitoring heart conditions in student-athletes is a growing concern among doctors and health experts. And after getting his diagnosis earlier this year, Guidry worried that he'd never be able to play soccer again.
“I just wanted to do whatever I could do to get back on the field,” said Guidry. “I wanted to be able to achieve my dream of playing D1 athletics. Being told that I was on hold with a heart condition, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to or not.”
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“As a young man being 18 years old, getting ready for what is supposed to be the most exciting time of your life. College, college soccer, I’m going to fulfill my dream and all these things and then all of a sudden to get that crushed,” said Brian Barnett, IUPUI head soccer coach.
But with some determination, several months of cardio evaluations and testing, and now on a beta-blocker medication, Max is back out on the field.
“It’s pretty special to be able to be back out there playing with them,” Guidry said.
“It is much much easier to tell an athlete you can’t play, you can’t participate for your safety than it is to make it safe for them to compete,” said Dr. Richard Kovacs, a professor at IU School of Medicine.
And that’s exactly what his cardiologist, Dr. Kovacs, did. Max now carries an AED with him in his backpack whenever he does physical activity. His teammates, athletic trainers, and coaches have all also been trained on the warning signs and what to do in case of a sudden cardiac arrest.
“We put an emergency action plan in place,” Barnett said. “I carry a key on my whistle every single day at practice that would unlock the gate should we need to call emergency personnel.”
“It’s a big task for them to take upon if someone were to go down with a heart problem; taking the proper steps, calling the police, getting an AED, someone starting CPR,” said Guidry. “It’s very special and I can’t thank them enough for taking up on that task.”
Proving, “A heart condition is serious, but I was told I could still do whatever I wanted, and I’m still doing it," Guidry said. "It didn’t let it stop me from playing the game I love.”
Since discovering his undetected heart condition, Guidry's family all got tested. Several family members discovered they also had the condition, potentially saving their lives, as well.
This year, Gov. Holcomb made it required for all Indiana high schools to provide educational materials about sudden cardiac arrest to all student-athletes, parents, and coaches. Plus, now each coach has to be certified in CPR.
Doctors say cardiac arrest can happen at any age, but athletes are most at risk. You may be wondering, should my child get an EKG screening? They recommend a pre-participation physical, but not necessarily an EKG screening for everyone.
In our local Indiana Division, schools like IUPUI, Purdue, and Indiana University, have all chosen to screen their student-athletes. But for parents in general, they say just pay attention to your student-athletes symptoms. If unusual shortness of breath, chest pain, or palpitations, speak to a doctor.
