GVMH Foundation Partners to Fight Sudden Cardiac Death

Saundra Overton,Vice-President of West Central Missouri Multisport Club (WCMMC)  (far left) pictured with Lori Watson and her children, Makenna and Dakota.

Every year, we hear about athletes that die of sudden cardiac death while participating in a sport. The Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare Foundation has teamed up with the West Central Missouri Multisport Club (WCMMC), GVMH Rehab and Wellness, cardiologists from Saint Luke’s, and volunteer nurses to provide athlete heart screenings to help diagnose problems prior to a fatal accident.

WCMMC Vice-President Saundra Overton’s commitment to screening athletes is a tribute to her late husband, Fred Overton, who died at the age of 43 from a heart attack while training for a marathon. Fred was one of the primary founders in establishing WCMMC with a goal of bringing together a common group of athletes who would enjoy participating in competitive events and to develop a friendship with this special group.  Fred also had a personal underlying goal of wanting to stay active and beat his genetic odds of dying from an early cardiac related death. Fred had an unfortunate family history of the men in his family dying of heart attacks in their early 40's. He was determined to beat his genetic odds and felt if he engaged in eating right, exercising, and being involved in competitive events he would increase his chances of having a longer survival rate. Saundra says, “My hope is to provide access for a cardiologist to examine young athletes and complete cardiac testing so potential problems can be identified and young athletes can be treated early in life.”

Due to Saundra’s dedication and commitment to this cause, the schedule is already full for the screenings that will be offered in August. Rick and Lori Watson are fortunate that their children will be taking part in the heart screenings. According to Lori, they have a strong history of heart disease in their family. “Dakota is a high school senior and involved in football and track. Makenna is a freshman athlete and is involved in volleyball, basketball and track. They are active kids and I just want to be safe, rather than sorry. I know this can make all the difference,” says Lori.

If you would like more information about athletic heart screenings or information about WCMMC’s upcoming Tribute Triathlon, go to site.wmmsc.com.

 

Every first time mom experiences the nervous feeling of “What should I expect?” This is a natural concern and being well informed is the key to a healthy pregnancy.  The GVMH Foundation believes that it is important that all new moms be educated to ensure the health of moms and babies.  For this reason, the Foundation approved a $3000 grant for the purchase of books for first time mothers.

“‘Baby Basics: Your Month-by-Month Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy’ is a publication of the ‘What to Expect’ Foundation in partnership with the March of Dimes,” explains Amber Gray, GVMH OB Counselor, who purchased 300 books with the funds from the Foundation.

“This book helped me understand the changes my body would go through,” says first time mom Heather Thornley, “and it answered all of my questions.” The book is a wonderful resource that explains what to expect each month during pregnancy and inform women about what is normal and not normal during pregnancy.

“I had gestational diabetes and this book helped me understand what I needed to do to keep both my son and I healthy,” says first time mom Kristen Haak.

“It’s an investment in healthy pregnancies and healthy babies in our region and a resource not available at other organizations,” Kathy Hill, GVMH Foundation Director.

For more information about how you can be a part of this effort by donating to the GVMH Foundation, please contact Kathy Hill at 660-890-7108 or e-mail her at kshill@gvmh.org.