Our lives recently changed overnight when we discovered our 15-year-old son, Cameron, has a significant congenital heart defect. This was a complete shock, but the process of finding it was a gift that we want to share with other families.
Cameron loves sports and being active. Through middle and high school, he played on his schools’ soccer, volleyball, pickleball, basketball, and football teams. He often practiced with two different teams on the same day. He never experienced any symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations. Since he always passed his annual sports physicals, we never thought to do a heart screening.
Yet after Cam received an electrocardiogram, commonly known as an ECG, screening in June in preparation for this football season at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, we learned he has an abnormal heart rhythm. Further testing revealed Cam’s structural cardiac defect. He will have surgery in October to address the defect that we never knew about until the ECG screening at host site Dunedin High School by the nonprofit Who We Play For.
Florida is leading the nation by ensuring new high school student athletes are not playing with an undetected heart condition like Cameron’s. The landmark Second Chance Act requires all students participating in high school sports for the first time to undergo an electrocardiogram screening and receive results clearing them for sports. Students must complete the screening before their first tryout, conditioning, workout, practice or athletic activity of the 2026-27 school year.
The Second Chance Act aims to identify heart conditions that have gone undetected and untreated, like Cameron’s. Florida Lawmakers were inspired to act after Chance Gainer, an 18-year-old football player at Port St. Joe High School in the Florida Panhandle, collapsed during a game in 2024 and later died. It turned out he had an undetected heart condition.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death on school campuses and the number one killer of student athletes. An estimated 1 in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, and more than 23,000 children under 18 are stricken annually.
ECG screenings have been around for years and can identify heart conditions that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest. The screenings are quick and may be available through a student’s doctor or school, or through free and low-cost community screening events. Since August 2025, Who We Play For has held about 1,600 heart screening events and screened more than 85,000 student-athletes in Florida. Find options and more information at FLYouthHeart.org.
The Second Chance Act includes some exemptions. For example, student athletes who previously played high school sports sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association or had an ECG on or after Aug. 10, 2024, with normal results have satisfied the requirement. Cameron qualified for that exemption as a returning athlete, but Calvary Christian fortunately chose to screen every athlete.
Cardiac issues aren’t exclusive to athletes, so we encourage all parents to consider having their young people screened. By taking just a few extra minutes out of your day, you can find out life-changing or even life-saving information about your child. For those who need it, excellent pediatric cardiac care is available to help them heal and return safely to the activities they enjoy.
Our family owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Gainer family and so many others who advocate for other families after loss. We are so thankful for the screening that gave us vital information about Cam’s health, and this cardiac screening is what all our children deserve. When our communities come together for our children, more young lives will be saved through screening. Our kids are worth it!
Laura Crider lives in Clearwater and advocates for all kids getting a heart screening to identify hidden conditions like the one they discovered in their son.
