high school athletes pushing themselves
to the limit sometimes with deadly
consequences hidden heart defects and
teen athletes that can kill without
warning tonight a first step toward
preventing the sudden deaths involving
our children a new bill proposed in this
year's Texas Legislature will require
in-depth heart screenings for all high
school athletes channel twos bill
Spencer has been following this issue
for five years tonight he explains what
this bill covers and who is supporting
the effort just 16 years old
170 pounds Jaron Holden it's the gym
with a ferocity that knows
a star junior varsity basketball player
at Cedar Hill High School near Dallas on
the court jaren looks invincible but on
August 31st 2016 at just 13 years old
jaren suddenly collapsed right in the
middle of a basketball game from sudden
cardiac arrest Sheeran actually died
twice but was revived by paramedics I
leaned over put my hands on my knees as
if I was tired I took maybe two or three
steps and collapse I definitely was
praying asking God to keep my child he
was not breathing we had lost him he was
gone
Jaron survived but had to undergo
open-heart surgery to repair a hidden
heart defect
no one knew you had we had no warning
signs whatsoever there was nothing wrong
with me I was slow I wasn't reading hard
and nothing I was just like every other
kid working out yes Jaron passed his UIL
state required school sports exam but
that exam never uncovered Jared's
potentially deadly hidden heart problem
the current sports exams that we're
doing now catch about three percent of
heart problems that can lead to sudden
cardiac arrest three percent by adding
an electrocardiogram an ECG we can take
that to 86 percent now thanks to the
efforts of Scott Stevens whose own son
Cody died from a hidden heart defect
now state representative dan humor tea
is introducing a brand new bill this
legislature House bill 76 that would
make it mandatory for every single high
school athlete in Texas to undergo an
electrocardiogram or echocardiogram
heart test we've had families come and
testify in front of us that lost their
children and we've had parents come with
their children that have gone through
this and found a problem and those
children were alive today as a direct
result of these tests in fact Hubert E's
own son dillan a football player did
tasks heceta high school has already
been tested and found to have a slightly
larger than normal heart but nothing
that will ever hamper his ability to
play your own son Dylan was tested what
would you say to all the parents out
there who think this is a waste of time
and they really don't have to bother
with it while we can't go back and save
any of these children that we lost
you can save your child you have the
ability to do that as for Jaron who
never had an in-depth heart test a test
his parents say would have detected the
heart problem that very nearly killed
him he's back on the court playing and
joining those backing this proposed new
law it's gonna save lives if they're not
tested in this way they're basically
risking their life yes
Jaron did have a deadly heart defect but
doctors fixed it and he's now playing
high school basketball better than ever
now you should know if this bill is
passed into law parents who are totally
against this kind of thing for religious
reasons philosophical reasons whatever
you will be able to opt out if having
your child participate if this bill is
passed
Texas will become the first state in the
nation to adopt this kind of life-saving
program if you want to read this bill in
its entirety we have it on our website
just go to the investigate section even
working on this a long time yeah yeah
satisfied with it yeah yeah and we'll be
following it every step of the way all
right nice that you're forging change
here bill yep