Sad News

[Lisa in Katy]

We've had two teenagers - both 16 - die at high schools in our district in the last two weeks. The first one was a cross country runner and collapsed shortly after a warm-up (two laps around the track). The ambulance arrived within 3-4 minutes, but unfortunately he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital, which was about 5 minutes away. The autopsy was made public today. He had a congenital valve defect that caused aortic stenosis. They never said what the defect was, but I assume from the description that it was bileaflet aortic valve. The doctor said in his interview that usually people who have this defect are diagnosed early on from a murmur and are steered away from sports, eventually needing valve surgery. I wonder if this doctor knows what he's talking about, because we all know that congenital defects, whether it be bileaflet or something else, are often not diagnosed until adulthood. My brother was about 26.

The second teenager died earlier this week by suicide, which he chose to take place in the courtyard outside the cafeteria during lunch. He was life flighted to the medical center, but died a couple of hours after the incident.

The second incident just makes me sad that any teenager would feel that things aren't going to get better. The first incident makes me sad and scared. I think of his parents and believe "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

 

[lynn]

Gosh, how terrible! I asked my surgeon the other day if I should have my boys checked (16 and 13), he said yes! Two of my aunts had valve replacements, although no one seems to know which ones, and my aortic is scheduled at the end of November.

The suicide, I work at a middle school, it is terrible to see the kids at that age that do drugs, cut, have sex and are just plain miserable. They just don't realize that suicide is final!! I saw a very good Oprah a couple weeks ago about a young man who tried to blow his head off, he didn't succeed and only made more trouble by having multiple surgeries to reconstruct himself. If only he could visit every school and tell his story! I wish my kids had watched it.

 

[Karlynn]

It might have been Al Lodwick or another one of our more knowledgable members that posted quite a while ago that most of these sudden-death incidences of athletes can be attributed to valve problems that have gone undiagnosed. Many times the news will just say "Died of sudden cardiac arrest" or "undiagnosed heart disease".

I saw the Oprah show too Lynn. It should be required viewing in Jr. Highs and High Schools and I would hope that Oprah would make it available for that purpose. I know in our school district teachers are not allowed to video tape something off their TV and show it in class. They must have written approval from the production company.

What a very sad time for your community. The families and friends have my prayers.

 

[Granbonny]

Lisa

Lisa

Sorry to hear this news.. We have a bus with Cardio equipments that goes to every middle/high school to check out players.Free/ Cardios and doctors doing it...this is in Gainesville, Ga......I believe it is done in the summer..before sports begin?... I know I have read, too, where fund drives are done for buying defibrillators for coaches.(external)..I read where that happens to young players in Ga. several times a year. ...I wonder, how did the young person commit suicide at school? Were they able to slip a gun in? We have an Obit notice at our P.O....saw where an 18 year old had passed and it was a notice for Condolence for Grandparents who live here in our Gated community...Heard it was suicide. ..so, they hurt everyone. even their Grandparents.....Bonnie

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Sorry to hear it. As Bonnie stated. Our area will be implementing the "traveling diagnostic" for schools and such. There seems to be so much more of this going on. Or maybe it has been going on so long and we were just not aware do to lack of info?

Suicide, it's an issue all over. One reason why I don't work a full schedule. And thankfully I have that option. Stay in tune with your kids. The ones we have heard about. Parents are off traveling..... leaving the teens with the live in help. Paying no attention to what is going on. I am sure you can imagine all the other crazy stuff that goes on!

 

[Blanche]

Suicide...a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If you see suicide in this manner, there is hope here somewhere. I watched a fellow student jump from a fourth floor of the Education Building when I was a freshwoman in college. He had financial problems and was only 22 years old. Fifteen years later, as a university instructor, I became aware of several suicides that were attributed to personal problems, financial problems, or depression. Sadly, we are now seeing the same problems and the same awful choice in youngsters much younger...in Japan, I am told that early elementary school children are becoming victims of temporary problems and early self inflicted deaths. It is more than sad. Seems that there is nowhere to go when parents, schools, churches, community can not deal with the problems facing youth. I wish I had an answer.

 

[debster913]

As a high school teacher, I think it is so sad to see young people die from anything whether a tragic collapse and death from a heart problem (that's why my pediatric cardio made me quit the track team after he noticed it was making my valve worse), or suicide. One of my former students committed suicide a few weeks ago. If only she'd gotten the help she needs! Too many young people see problems in their lives as permanent and don't realize that there can be hope. I didn't see that Oprah special, but I'd show it to my students. That also reminds me of this young girl who made the news recently because, despondent over unrequited love, she tried to kill herself by driving head-on into another vehicle. She survived, but killed a young mother and severely injured the woman'd daughter as a result of the suicide attempt. Now she faces life in prison. All because she was romantically rejected. What a waste.

 

[hensylee]

some of the boys got together one night when my son was in high school He came home to tell me that one of them collapsed on the gym floor and died! He and others tried to give cpr but didn't know quite how, but gave it their all anyway. A teacher who did know, refused to do it. Probably would not have helped anyway. It was an awful experience for them; they were devastated. It was his heart.

 

[Lynlw]

Alot of the athletes, (and theme park) deaths have to do w/ CHD that cause rythm problems too . I guess until they start screeening for CHDs (since they are the most comman birth defect and leading cause of birth defect related deaths (not to mention twice as many kids die from chd as ALL forrms od pediatric cancer combined, but 5 times the money is spent on ped cancer than chd) you will continue to see these sad preventable deaths. Can you tell I write lots of letters about this. it is sad and enfuriating, Lyn

 

[aussigal]

What a sad time for your community....

Stories like the first one where the young kid died doing sport are uppermost in my mind when I reply to posts from parents asking if they should get their kids screened for heart/valve problems...

 

[strawberry]

I can totally empathize. There was a high school girl here who committed suicide a month or so ago...Varsity field hockey, honor student, seemed to have it all. Her parents have set up a fund for suicide prevention and decided not to "cover it up" so as to raise awareness. It was really awful. Then, the Amish school shootings. Everytime I see a buggy I feel like I should get out and apologize for it, as if it's my fault the "English" world's violence intruded on theirs. My ten year old hasn't slept in her own bed since that incident. When these senseless, horrible things happen, it really really does affect every person and makes you hold your children even tighter.