Staff Reports
On a November afternoon, the carefree sounds of students warming up on a high school field echoed through the air. Their laughter, however, was replaced all too soon with cries for help.
During warm-ups, Rafe Maccarone collapsed on the soccer field. Players, coaches, and medical professionals rushed to his side to help. Despite immediate assistance from those around him, Rafe passed away the next day, just a few days before his 16th birthday. Rafe’s friends and family later found out that Rafe had Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Had he had an ECG prior to Nov. 30, 2007, there is a 95% chance he would have survived if properly treated.
That day was over 15 years ago. But Rafe’s legacy is more alive than ever today.
Rafe’s passing birthed a resolve and passion in the community around him. And from this resolve, a group of Rafe’s closest friends determined to let this tragedy create transformative action. Their mission became a tribute to a life that had ended all too soon.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy poses a significant health concern as the primary contributor to Sudden Cardiac Death among individuals under 30 years old. It is a crisis in youth sports and schools. Overall, 1 in 300 youth today are at risk due to detectable heart anomalies that most routine wellness checks do not expose. If detected, typically these heart abnormalities are entirely curable with procedures that have become routine for medical doctors and cardiologists. If not detected, tragedy strikes without warning.
Recently, a Tampa high school student collapsed during track practice. Fortunately, school and emergency personnel used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to deliver live saving shocks, but this incident underscores the need for widespread heart screenings. This student and others represent the faces of Florida — young people lost or forever altered by SCA.
Xaiver Cooley, a 13-year-old from Osceola County who died suddenly over the holidays last year. Marissa Joleen DeVito, a 19-year-old who died of sudden cardiac arrest. And 14-year-old Knox MacEwen, who died while participating in a JROTC 5k. These stories and hundreds more speak volumes of the work left to be done in Florida.
Yet, amidst these tragedies, there are stories that speak of hope.
The story of Seabreeze High School junior Brogan Kelly whose heart condition was detected by a Who We Play For screening that is credited as having saved his life. The story of Giovanni Garcia, who was able to undergo the heart surgery he needed after a screening detected a rare condition involving an extra electrical pathway causing a rapid heartbeat. The story of Logan Johannesen, a 14-year-old who was able to get the care he needed after participating in a heart screening event earlier this year.
Many of us may have been led to believe that kids dying from heart problems are rare. But the truth is that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the single greatest killer of school age children. This is a silent epidemic striking families across Florida and it demands our attention.
Born out of tragedy and in honor of Rafe, Who We Play For was begun to provide preventative heart screenings for Florida’s youth. These efforts have resulted in over 250,000 screenings completed to date. By providing routine heart screenings for Florida students, Who We Play For is transcending athleticism, socio-economic status, and geographical location. This proactive approach is ensuring a safer and healthier future for young Floridians.
Rafe’s story and his legacy is a catalyst for change, encouraging educators, families, and leaders across Florida to become involved, ensuring the safety and well-being of Florida’s youngest and most active residents.
Together, we can protect our children and honor the memory of those we have lost by making sure every young Floridian has access to a heart screening. For 1 in every 300 young Floridians, a routine heart screening means the difference between living a full and complete life instead of one cut short by a detectable and curable heart abnormality.
To learn more about Who We Play For or to request a school or community-based screening, visit whoweplayfor.org.
One comment
TJC
March 14, 2024 at 4:37 pm
This is a cause that the Florida Legislature could support and encourage in a bipartisan push. Get every student in the state screened. Imagine that, doing something positive for the students of Florida.
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