BeLIEVE in Heart Screening!

We all go about our daily lives and never really think about the effects of SCA, Sudden Cardiac Arrest. When most of us hear the words "Sudden Cardiac Arrest" we immediately think of an adult or someone who might have been sick or have heart issues however; it is important to remember that SCA happens to children as well.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) has been ranked as the number one sudden killer in children. Recently a teen in New Boston, Texas, collapsed during a physical education class. A normal PE Class on a normal day. All kids have a daily routine of classes that they may have some physical exertion but it shouldn't cause any child to experience any issues or problems.

SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest) doesn't just happen to those who are athletes, it can happen to any kid during any typical activity such as P.E. or a school dance or running on the playground.

Recently Children's Hospital's Care Network did a medical study of 400 children and young teens which concluded that it would be effective to screen all healthy school-aged children, not just limiting it to athletes. Currently, Italy and China use this practice and it is hoped that the U.S. will follow in their foot steps. The cost is minimal and it only takes about 10 minutes to complete but could save thousands of lives each year. If you live in the Texas area; THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano is supporting Living for Zachary by offering non-invasive electrocardiogram and echocardiogram screenings to youth ages 13-22.  This heart screening is offered for $100, this screening package may prove to be invaluable to hundreds of youth in Plano and surrounding communities. Parents can call 1-800-4BAYLOR and request the “Living for Zachary” screening. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The popular TV doctor, Dr. Oz ran a segment of his show in spring of last year and discussed SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest). During his show he told viewers how important it is for children to have their heart screened. Dr. OZ mentioned that there are usually no symptoms, no real warning signs to go by, just a normal child whose heart suddenly fails. He told a story of a 12 year old girl from Texas who was on vacation with her family and had asked to play at the water park. Her mom dropped her and a friend off and never knew that would be the last time she saw her child alive. The young girl suffered SCA while at the water park.

It is crucial to be pro-active and know your child's genetic risk factors as well as family health history. It is also just as important to know how to prevent death if a SCA situation arises. The government in Texas has now placed (AED's) automated external defibrillator's in all of the schools. Those AED's will save the life of our children as will having your heart screened.

Education Forum - Your Health, It's a personal Number !

Friday, February 7, 2014 at the

The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano

2013 L4Z Education Forum Wrap Up

The opportunity to learn about your health at our free Education Forum took place on Friday, February 15, 2013 at the Omni Dallas from 5-9:00pm. The Education Forum offered free Living for Zachary heart screenings (youth ages 12-22), free health tests, medical advice from our board of nationally recognized physicians, AED and CPR training, forum booths hosted by the top medical manufacturers and wellness companies in the world, and heart healthy cooking demonstrations.
The day began with Living for Zachary youth heart screenings at Adamson High School. There, on behalf of the city of Dallas, Living for Zachary received a proclamation! The Dallas Mayor, Michael Rawlings, proclaimed Friday, February 15, 2013 as ‘Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day’.

We were able to give 111 total Living for Zachary youth heart screenings throughout the day:

• 25 youth screened at Adamson High School on mobile medical unit
• 21 youth screened at Omni Dallas on mobile medical unit
• 65 youth screened at Omni Dallas by The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano

HeartBeats Gala – February 8, 2014 - It's going to be a great day for L4Z and SCA!

The HeartBeats Gala is a two-day annual event in Dallas, TX held during February, American Heart Month. Proceeds from the HeartBeats Gala benefits Living for Zachary (L4Z) whose mission is to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in youth. In three short years, the HeartBeats Gala has attracted more than 2,500 attendees, 50 corporate/private sponsors and has raised more than $1 million.

The first event is the Education Forum which is a free event offered to the general public to learn more about their heart health. Each year the Education Forum offers free Living for Zachary Heart Screenings for youth ages 12-22, free health tests, medical advice from our board of nationally recognized physicians, AED and CPR training, forum booths hosted by top medical manufacturers and wellness companies in the world, and heart-healthy cooking demonstrations. In 2013, Living for Zachary received a proclamation from the Dallas Mayor, Michael Rawlings, stating that Friday, February 15, 2013 is ‘Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day’.

The second event is the HeartBeats Gala which is a black tie affair offering cocktails, fine dining, live and silent auction, and live music.  In 2013, a wine pull was added to the night’s events to provide attendees the opportunity to purchase fine wines donated from the cellars of top wine connoisseurs. Every year, the HeartBeats Gala hosts approximately 1,000 business and community leaders, physicians and members of the medical community and strong L4Z supporters.

Imperative Information about Heart Attack vs SCA

Making sure that you know the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest is imperative as all the information comes out about SCA.


Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) differs from a heart attack in that their root problems that lead to the malfunction are different. Heart attacks occur when there is a blockage in either one or many arteries to the heart, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching the heart.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is an electrical malfunction leading to an irregularly fast heartbeat. Often times, the blood flow to the brain is reduced leading to a loss of consciousness almost immediately. In short, sudden cardiac arrest can happen during a heart attack but it is not a heart attack.

While there are some symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, often times it strikes with little or no alert. In fact - with Zachary Schrah, there were no symptoms, there were no warning signs.

If you or someone you know begins to feel dizzy or their heart begins racing and it alerts them—take them immediately to a emergency facility or call 911.

If you or someone you know has had a previous heart attack, coronary artery disease, practices coronary-risking behavior such as smoking, unhealthy eating habits or recreational drug abuse, advise them of the dangers and help grow awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). It is vital to share this information with your doctor so that you can both assess ways to lower your risk of this potentially-fatal condition.