Blessing Hospital in Quincy is offering a free screening that could keep students for suddenly dying while taking part in sports.
One condition that could cause sudden death in teenagers and adults is called Marfan Syndrome.
Marfan Syndrome is a disorder of the connective tissue.
For someone with the condition, their chemical makeup of the connective tissue is abnormal, which makes it less strong.
In the heart, Marfan can cause your aortic blood vessel enlarge and burst, which is of course fatal.
Cardiologists at Blessing Hospital and the hospital itself donated time and equipment to screen kids aged 13 to 18 for Marfan Syndrome.
It only affects one out of every 20,000 people.
It seems rare, why offer this service?
"Even though it is rare, it's really easy to screen for. If you miss it, it can be devestating to kids playing sports," says Cardiologist Dr. John Hammock.
The screenings also checked for another condition called Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy or H-O-C-M.
It is still considered rare, but more common than Marfan Syndrome.
It affects one in every two thousand people.
Look for more on that story on www.connecttristates.com
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA