By Laura Lane
The Merokean had tried to make the simple, noninvasive test available in school for the past 15 years, to avoid the kind of tragedy that befell her own son, Jason Gruen, when he was a sophomore at Manhasset High School. In 1985 Gruen died of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, a disease of the heart that can affect otherwise healthy young people, resulting in sudden death.
"My son died walking into Manhasset High School," said Helsinger. "Whether an electrocardiogram would have saved him or not, we would have at least known what he had. Not everyone can be diagnosed with this test, but it is a preliminary cardiac screening."
Helsinger approached the Manhasset School District with her idea 15 years ago, but received no support. She tried to obtain permission to have children in Merrick and North Merrick tested a year and a half ago.
The testing will cost the district nothing, because the Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation, which Helsinger formed to honor her son and help other children, is paying for it. Still, it took Helsinger a long time to get the OK to move ahead with the testing. "We are in a very litigious society, and the attorneys for the district were afraid," she explained. "I gave the equipment to Schneider Children's Hospital at Long Island Jewish/North Shore University Hospital a year and a half ago, with the assumption that we were going to begin testing."
The portable electrocardiogram machines remained at the hospital while Helsinger continued to iron out the legal questions.
When 9-year-old Robbie Levine of Merrick died more than a year ago of a heart condition as he rounded the bases after a Little League practice, Ellen Fuschillo, New York state Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr.'s wife, spoke to Helsinger. "I told Susan that my children were panicked over Robbie's death, and she told me that she'd been trying to get testing approved in the Merrick schools but was having difficulty," Fuschillo recalled. "I spoke to [Calhoun High School Principal] David Seinfeld and to [Merrick Avenue Middle School Principal] Caryn Blum and the momentum grew. The idea was presented to the PTAs and then to the superintendent who was thrilled."
The voluntary testing will be performed on eighth-grade boys and girls who are interested in taking part in spring sports at Grand and Merrick Avenue middle schools. Parents will receive notices that they must sign before their children are tested.
"At least two hospital technicians will come to give the children the six-minute test," said Helsinger. "All information will be taken to the hospital, and the pediatric cardiologists at Schneider will read the results and notify the parent if they find anything, but parents can go anywhere for treatment."
Saul Lerner, director of phys. ed., athletics and health for the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, sees the testing as 100 percent beneficial. "It's just a good thing," said Lerner. "There's no cost to the school district or the community. This is something that's not regularly tested in children, and if we could diagnose only one child, it's a good thing for everyone."
Lerner said he is available to answer questions from any parent with concerns. He added that the testing is one of the precautionary components of a healthy lifestyle, which students learn about in phys. ed. classes.
Fuschillo said she would be on hand to help organize the event to assist her friend. "This is Susan's way of honoring her son's memory," said Fuschillo. "She's been doing this for so many years; she's driven. This is her dream come true."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
