By Laura Lane
Gruen died in 1985 of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, a heart disease that can affect otherwise healthy young people, resulting in sudden death. "My son died walking into Manhasset High School," said Helsinger. "Whether an echocardiogram would have saved him or not, we would have at least known what he had. Not everyone can be diagnosed [for heart disease] with this test, but it is a preliminary cardiac screening."
Last year 250 eighth-graders from the district underwent the test, and seven were found to have significant heart defects.
When Helsinger was being honored at a Bellmore-Merrick Central High School Board of Education meeting earlier this fall, a resident asked if she'd test teenagers in other grades as well.
"I said if they could get permission to have it done, I'd fund it," Helsinger said. "You can't put a price on a person's life."
Saul Lerner, the Central District's director of health, athletics and driver's education, agreed and has been working toward expanding the program.
"The seven kids that had the heart defect may never have discovered it until it was too late had we not had the testing," Lerner said. "And 75 percent of the eighth-graders didn't take the test. If you do the math, there could be 21 more kids out there who may be suffering from something that might have been detected."
Eighth-graders were chosen for echocardiogram testing because it is easier to detect heart defects in younger children. But Lerner has joined Helsinger in her effort to have children in other grades tested, as well.
"Within two years, every eighth- through 12th-grader will have had an opportunity to be tested," Lerner said. "That's my goal. There are no symptoms to this, and it's not routinely tested in a physical."
Testing for eighth graders took place Nov. 17 and will take place Dec. 1 at Merrick Avenue Middle School. Lerner is setting the date for the 10th-grade program.
"Bellmore-Merrick is not only in the business of education, but also in producing healthy kids," Lerner said. "This is one more piece of making sure our kids are healthy."
Comments about this story? Llane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
