Lindbergh High Heart Screening Has Cross-Country Racer Running Again

Lindbergh High School freshman Will Recla is a cross-country and mile runner who recently ran in the annual 5K St. Patrick’s Day Dash in Seattle. A cross-country athlete running a 5K event may not be impressive on its own. But a little more than 90 days ago, Will had open-heart surgery to replace his aortic valve and repair his aorta.

Even more amazing is that the heart problem was discovered thanks to a screening conducted right at Lindbergh High School.

In October, Lindbergh High Assistant Principal Keith Hennig organized a heart screening for all Lindbergh students through the Nick of Time Foundation, non-profit organization that works to increase awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and provide free youth heart screenings (see our video and coverage of the screening event here).

Hundreds of students were screened that day. A few showed signs of abnormalities and were told to follow-up with their family doctor. Will was one of those kids. Two months later, he was being prepped for open-heart surgery.
According to the family’s cardiologist, if the abnormality had not been found as part of the Nick of Time screening, “Will could very likely have been one of those athletes who had a cardiac event during his sport.”

Learn more about Nick of Time Foundation and find out how to bring them to your high school for screenings at their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/NickofTimeFoun) or website (http://nickoftimefoundation.org/).