FAIR GROVE, Mo. An Ozarks family has made it their mission to help screen young people for hidden heart conditions. Devon Parrott and his family found out about his life-threatening heart condition six years ago, after he collapsed at school. Devon’s Beat recently held its first heart screening event in the Springfield area.
Fair Grove schools welcomed Devon’s Beat and ATS HeartCheck last Saturday to screen 56 kids. Devon’s Beat has now helped nearly 600 kids get screened.They get a blood pressure check, a 12 lead EKG and an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the heart. The screening has found hidden heart conditions like Devon’s in other kids. I even had my own daughter screened. The process was pain-free and only takes about 15 minutes.
The tests are not something a doctor will usually prescribe unless someone is having serious symptoms, and the cost could be about two-thousand dollars. ATS HeartCheck does the screening for $129, but at Fair Grove’s event, Devon’s Beat cut that cost in half for families.
Devon’s mom, Angela Parrott says, “What drives me the most is knowing that there was a chance that Devon wouldn’t still be here. Had we not decided to go through with the EKG, we wouldn’t have known about his condition. And I just feel like so many people have hidden conditions that they don’t know about, and it’s just kind of like a ticking time bomb.”
I just got my daughter’s screening report and everything checked out normal. Others may get some news that is bittersweet, but very valuable.
To learn more about Devon’s Beat or how you can support their cause, visit Devon’s Beat Facebook page, e-mail angelaparrott@embarqmail.com or call (660)287-2888
You can also mail donations to 16594 Highway C Lincoln, MO 65338
If you’re interested in organizing a heart screening event, you can also contact ATS HeartCheck by clicking HERE.
Original article: https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Devons-Beat-holds-first-heart-screening-event-in-Springfield-area.html