Photo Credit: Harris County ESD 11 Health
Cody Stephens Foundation Identifies Eight Students With Heart Abnormalities After Harris County ESD 11 EKG Screen
The Cody Stephens Foundation performed over 400 free electrocardiogram (EKG) screens on area student athletes at the Harris County ESD 11 campus Sunday, August 17. Last week doctors evaluated the tests are report seven students as having an undiagnosed heart disease and one with an irregular heartbeat.
Founder Scott Stephens says on average 2% of the students they test at these events have an undiagnosed heart abnormality that could lead to serious consequences if not treated.
“This is why these scans are so important and why we are so grateful to have a community partner like Harris County ESD 11 host this event and offer CPR training for the parents who come. This one event potentially saved eight families from having to endure the heartbreak I experienced from losing my son Cody.”
“We are so proud to do what we can to support the lifesaving work of the Cody Stephens Foundation,” says Harris County ESD 11 CEO Jordan Anderson. “We are currently working with the Foundation on more ways we can expand our support to help even more families get these lifesaving scans.”
Cody Stephens was a 6’9″, 289-pound athlete with dreams as big as his heart — literally. A beloved son, teammate, and friend, Cody had committed to play college football when tragedy struck. In May 2012, Cody fell asleep in his father’s recliner and never woke up, the victim of an undetected heart condition.
His passing left a hole in his family and community, but it also ignited a mission. Today, Cody’s legacy lives on through heart screenings, education, and legislation that give other young athletes a second chance. The mission of our foundation is to partner with schools to implement heart screening programs with electrocardiogram as a part of pre-participation physicals, and raise awareness that Sudden Cardiac Arrest is preventable.
Source: Cody Stephens Foundation
