Play For Patrick Foundation Provides Free Cardiac Screenings

The Play for Patrick Foundation joined with the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center to provide local student-athletes aged 14 to 18 with free cardiac screenings.

Play for Patrick is a foundation made in the memory of Patrick Schoonover, who in 2014 collapsed on the ice after scoring a goal at a Brainerd hockey tournament. First responders were unable to revive him and it was later determined Schoonover had numerous defects that caused his early death. His heart condition was never detected during exams or physicals.

Following their son’s tragic death, the Schoonover family worked with the University of Minnesota Physicians Heart clinics to educate and inform families about heart defects and to help make heart scans more accessible and affordable.

The screening also included testing of blood pressure, EKG, echocardiogram, hands-only CPR and AED training and discussion with a physician.

“We keep things really simple, we call and we push, doing those two things will double to even triple their survival rates, and the more people that know it [CPR] then the more people that are going to do it and the more lives that you’re going to save,” said CPR Instructor Kim Austin-Moe.

The Schoonover family along with the Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation screened nearly 3,000 kids in the last four years, turning what Patrick’s father Mike Schoonover says is, “A bitter situation into a better situation.”

“Patrick’s parents didn’t miss a beat, they instantaneously knew they wanted to prevent this from happening to other kids and families,” said Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Coordinator Amanda Weiss.

Helping other people is what Patrick was known for, so it’s only fitting that his foundation is all about helping other people.

Patrick’s father Mike Schoonover said, “He would always look out for kids being bullied; I always think he’s looking down on us and he’s smiling because we’re doing what he would want us to do and that’s helping others.”