1 of 4

Three Village student-athletes got serious about heart health last weekend.

Nearly 400 teenagers attended a cardiovascular screening at Ward Melville High School on Oct. 1, according to Kevin Finnerty, executive director of health, physical education, recreation and athletics.

“Our fall athletic coaches encouraged their teams to attend, and we even had opportunities for all students in our district, ages 12-18, to sign up for this free service,” he said.

Heart Screen New York headed up the program, a joint initiative of Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation and Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation. Both Acompora and Murray died of sudden cardiac arrest during games. 

Acompora was 14 when he received a blunt trauma to his chest while a goalie on the Northport field hockey team. The trauma caused commotio cordis, a syndrome that leads to cardiac arrest. His death inspired Louis’ Law, which, since 2001, requires all New York state public schools to be equipped with automatic external defibrillators, known as AEDs, in buildings and sporting events.

Murray was 17 when he collapsed and died on the Farmingdale State College basketball court in 2009. While he received medical clearance to play college sports, a congenital heart defect had gone undetected. The foundation in his honor is committed to expanding CPR/AED training, AED access and heart screenings.

The Oct. 1 cardiovascular screening included a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram that measures the heart’s electrical function. The test is not usually included in children’s and teenagers’ annual physicals. The event also included checking blood pressure and an education table with CPR/AED demonstration.

Volunteering at the high school were 120 cardiologists, medical staff, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nursing students.

“Our CPR/AED education station trained 395 potential life-saving heroes on Saturday,” a statement from Heart Screen New York read. “We know how tiring your job was and we are so proud of how many students received this training.”

Finnerty said the event, and the possibility of the high school hosting it, was brought to his attention last spring by Karen Acompora, Louis’ mother, and Ward Melville student and girls volleyball player Bailee Williams. The student-athlete and her parents, Denise and Billy, helped promote the event and secure sponsors.

“Given the fact that other school districts have unfortunately lost student-athletes to sudden cardiac arrest while playing sports in the past, I knew this was something important and very valuable to our student-athletes and school community,” Finnerty said.

Billy Williams said his daughter knew someone who was involved in the program. She reached out to the foundation last year, but there was only one date available that wouldn’t work out for the high school. He said no games can be scheduled on the day of a screening to allow all student-athletes the opportunity to take part. Last spring, when another school notified Heart Screen New York that it had to cancel their Oct. 1 event, Bailee Williams was advised and she approached Finnerty.

Her father said Three Village school district Superintendent Kevin Scanlon and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), with Finnerty, were helpful in making the event a reality. Williams added his daughter raised $7,500 for the Acompora foundation by reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships, and then selling T-shirts featuring the company’s names for $15 each.

Bailee Williams was pleased with how successful the event turned out.

“I am so grateful I had the support of my friends, the 3V community and school district administrators to bring the heart-screening program to Ward Melville,” she said. “I am thrilled hundreds of students were able to be screened in just one day, and that we raised awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in the student-athlete community.”