Healthy 17-Year-Old Fatally Collapsed: His Story Could Save Mid-Michigan Lives

Thomas Smith was a healthy 17-year-old high school senior. One night he came home and told his parents his heart was racing. Moments later it all ended when he collapsed right in front of his family.

A Healthy Michigan Teen Athlete Suddenly Collapses

His parents started CPR and held on until paramedics arrived. But despite their efforts, Thomas never woke up. Doctors later learned he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle that often goes undetected.

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Basically, what happened to Thomas is called sudden cardiac arrest. It is not a heart attack. It is an electrical failure in the heart that causes it to suddenly stop beating. If CPR or an AED is not used quickly, it becomes sudden cardiac death.

The Warning Signs Most Families Never See

And here is the part that should stop every parent in their tracks. About 80 percent of young people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest never show symptoms before they collapse.

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Thomas is not alone. Last year, 911 centers across the country handled more than 23,500 cardiac emergency calls involving children.

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But there is a mission growing out of tragedies like this. Over the last 15 years, thousands of Michigan teens have received free heart screenings. Those screenings have already identified serious heart problems in 169 students and have helped save 49 young lives.

A Flint Event Focused on Saving Lives

Because sometimes the only warning is the collapse, and catching it before that moment can change everything. That is why the Thomas Smith Memorial Foundation is offering a free Teen Heart Screening this Saturday, February 28 from 9 AM until 2 PM at Powers High School. It is happening at the Goggins Fieldhouse entrance at 1505 West Court Street in Flint. Walk ins are welcome, but registration is preferred at TommysHeart.org.