Army's woman's basketball coach

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
S

strawberry

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2004
Messages
208
Location
Phila PA
This woman died at 28 of an arrythmia. I wonder which valve they are talking about...

"WEST POINT, N.Y. Apr 7, 2006 (AP)? A month ago, 28-year-old Army coach Maggie Dixon left the Christl Arena court on the shoulders of jubilant cadets after leading the women's basketball team to its first NCAA tournament berth.

On Friday, Dixon was mourned in a chapel across the U.S. Military Academy's campus, a day after she died following a sudden episode of irregular heartbeat.

Dixon died Thursday night at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., academy spokesman Lt. Col. Kent Cassella said.

An autopsy conducted Friday found that Dixon had an enlarged heart and a problem with a heart valve, according to the Westchester County Medical Examiner's office. The valve problem could have caused her heart to beat irregularly and ultimately stop."


http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=1818942

Pretty scary and really sad.
 
Marfan?

Marfan?

The picture of her suggests Marfan's syndrome to me, but I'm not a doctor.
 
Sadness, Hope, and Possibilities

Sadness, Hope, and Possibilities

How sad the news is today about the shocking death of Army's 28-year-old woman's basketball coach, Maggie Dixon. Evidently she had an enlarged heart and a defective valve and no one had ever diagnosed it.

http://articles.news.aol.com/sports/article.adp?id=20060407051309990004

Condolence goes to Maggie's family, and many friends and fans.

At the same time, this tragic event should remind many of us how blessed we are to have such cardiac problems discovered, and to have had them corrected through replacement or repair. It may be useful to pause and remember that while the results of an echocardiogram or other tests may be jolting and the prospect of surgery unsettling, diagnosis is ultimately about hope and the possibility of continued life, which is ours to make of it what we will. I know many members of the vr.com family are doing much with their second chance.
 
PJmomrunner said:
New York Times says it was her mitral valve. (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08dixon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)

Robhol, you are so right. We are very fortunate to have been diagnosed. Maggie Dixon must have had a lots of pre-play physicals. How could a valve that leaky not be heard? I guess there was no murmur...what a shame.
Click to expand...

Thank P.J., you answered the question I had about this; I was thinking that it was probably the mitral valve since she died of an irregular heartbeat. This is another reminder of the benefits of early detection. What a tragedy it is when you don't know you need early detection.
 
As these tragedies continue to mount in the sports world, I predict full cardiovascular tests will be mandatory at least at the collegiate level, if not the high school level in the near future. They need to start looking for this type of disorder instead of relying on simple stress and blood tests. :(
 
Thanks PJMom - Testing!

Thanks PJMom - Testing!

Rush20 said:
As these tragedies continue to mount in the sports world, I predict full cardiovascular tests will be mandatory at least at the collegiate level, if not the high school level in the near future. They need to start looking for this type of disorder instead of relying on simple stress and blood tests. :(
Click to expand...

Maggie's story reminded me to update our group. I had posted earlier about our decision to have our children tested for BAVD. Interestingly, the insurer approved the decision to test our daughter (12) but not our son (9). Both were given echos which were negative. We then obtained letters from the pediatrician and the cardiologist and the insurer reversed and paid for our son too. The insurer agreed that all first blood offspring should be tested. I feel badly for Maggie's family - we still live at a time where we don't test enough. What a loss. Thanks to the group for searching to find which valve was involved. Mark
 
Really sad and surprising in this day and age.

Really sad and surprising in this day and age.

But you're right: this IS a reminder of our own good fortunes...
 
A Timely Reminder

A Timely Reminder

I have just discovered in the last month I will need surgery for MVP - this is a good reminder for me of how lucky I am that I have been given this option and will be monitored closely. What a tragedy for one so young as Maggie.....
 
You know when I read things like this, it really makes me think. I had an A-V node ablation because of bothersome atrial fibrillation (supposedly from my two mitral valve surgeries) that medication wouldn't help after 20 years. I also had a pacemaker implanted after the ablation. After a couple of years with the pacer, I was having a normal interrogation of it (those little things record just about everything), and it showed I was having ventricular tachycardia (which can most often be fatal). I didn't even know I was having it. It was one of the most serious discussions that a cardio ever had with me except for my surgeries. Within three days, the docs put in a defibrillator. In fact, the doc wanted to do it the next day, and I asked if I could wait until after the weekend. That was almost two years ago. Sometimes, I sit and think...if the meds hadn't failed, and I hadn't decided on the ablation with the pacemaker, then maybe I'd never have known about the V-tach (maybe until I was gone). I'm not meaning to sound morbid, but it does make one think. I'm so thankful that those little pacemakers are so nosy when it comes to recording the little blips that go on in my heart. It is so sad to read stories like this where there are no warning signs or it isn't discovered in time. LINDA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top