What is the mitral valve?  The mitral valve controls the flow of blood between 2 chambers (or "rooms") of your heart called the left atrium and the left ventricle. Normally, blood flows in one direction only, from the atrium to the ventricle. When the heart relaxes in between beats, the 2 flaps of the mitral valve swing open to let blood flow from the atrium to the ventricle. The flaps normally open only one way. (See the pictures below.) What is mitral valve prolapse? If you have mitral valve prolapse, the flaps of the valve don't work well. One of the flaps moves back into the atrium when the heart beats. This can let blood flow from the ventricle back into the atrium. About 1 in 20 Americans has mitral valve prolapse. People are usually born with it. More women have it than men.  How do I know that I have mitral valve prolapse?  Here are some of the possible symptoms of mitral valve prolapse: Feeling like your heart is racing or is skipping beats  Chest pain that comes now and then  Shortness of breath  Dizziness  Anxiety or panic  Your doctor can find mitral valve prolapse during a regular exam. When listening to your heart with a stethoscope, your doctor may hear a clicking sound. The flap makes the click. If blood is flowing back into the atrium, your doctor will hear a "whooshing" sound. This sound is called a murmur. To find out how well your valve is working, your doctor may have you get an echocardiogram. The echocardiogram provides a picture of your heart that shows your valve as the blood flows through it. This can help your doctor decide if you need treatment. Mikey was never diagnosed with a heart condition or any health problems during his physical or   regular exams. We never knew of any problems until it was too late.   How is mitral valve prolapse treated?  Most people with mitral valve prolapse don't need any treatment. In fact, this condition usually has no effect on your health. About 2 of every 100 people with this condition have complications. If your valve is too leaky or if you are having lots of symptoms you may need surgery to fix the valve. You may also have to limit your participation in competitive sports. Ask your doctor if you are in this group. If your mitral valve prolapse causes chest pain or other symptoms, your doctor might prescribe medicines such as beta blockers to make your symptoms better. In serious cases of mitral valve prolapse, infection can occur in the leaky valve during surgery or dental work. Check with your doctor to see if your case is severe. If so, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics prior to the procedure to protect against infection. Importance of AED Programs Unfortunately, quick EMS system response is not always possible. Even the best EMS systems experience delays from heavy traffic, secured buildings, large complexes, and high rises. The national average response time is 10 to 12 minutes. So even the best EMS responders may have difficulty arriving in the first 3 to 5 minutes when the chance of a successful defibrillation is greatest. The American Heart Association strongly encourages large businesses and public facilities to establish AED programs to increase the chances of survival for people with heart related emergencies. With an AED program a person will be better  prepared to save many lives. With a good implementation plan and proper training, one can help save more lives. The goal of every AED program is to deliver defibrillation to a sudden cardiac arrest victim within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse. Current Cardiac Screening Program Facts:  Number of states that have introduced or adopted legislation promoting and/or mandating AED's in schools........ 15 Amount appropriated by the Washington State legislature to fund a law making AED's in schools mandatory................$0 Approximate list price of an automated external defibrillator...$1200  Past Nick of Time Foundation Cardiac Screening Events: Jan. 17, 2008- Bishop Blanchet High School 273 youth screenings completed Our screening found over 25 youth with unknown heart problems,    7 that could be considered life threatening, 1 that required open heart surgery 3 days later. Jan. 31, 2009- Montesano Jr- Sr. High School 114 youth screenings completed Tests found 16 borderline readings with possible abnormalities, and  recommended cardiac follow up. 6 others with potentially life threatening conditions, 3 more that required immediate cardiac follow up.  As a parent, you protect your children from many types of diseases through vaccination,  including the flu shot.  You take care of your child with numerous visits to your family doctor for check-ups, immunizations and sports physicals.  But, is your child's heart healthy enough to participate in athletics?  Is your child protected from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?   The leading killer of young athletes in our country is a heart condition, called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, HCM or enlarged heart.  We lose one high school athlete every three days.  Half of the young athletes die from an undetected heart condition.  The best way to detect HCM as well as other heart conditions is through a heart screening using Echocardiograms (ultrasounds) and EKG (electrical tests) of the heart. Conducting ON-SITE cardiovascular screenings for young students, using ultrasound imaging under the supervision of cardiologists provides an excellent opportunity to detect life-threatening heart abnormalities.  A student's family history of heart conditions is also taken into consideration as part of the screening process  Sudden Cardiac Arrest - SCA is a sudden or unexpected cessation of heart function, most often caused by a sudden arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation (VF). When this occurs, the heart's electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic and ineffective. Blood flow to the brain abruptly stops and the victim collapses and quickly loses consciousness. Death usually follows unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within minutes. SCA is an electrical problem, while a  Heart Attack is a plumbing problem. VF - Ventricular fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia among cardiac arrest victims; during VF the heart's electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic and ineffective. Defibrillation - Defibrillation stops ventricular fibrillation (VF) using electric shock and allows the return of a normal heart rhythm. It is the only known treatment for ventricular fibrillation. AN AED is a device that analyzes a heart rhythm and prompts a user to deliver a shock when necessary. Automatic External Defibrillator- A handheld computer used to shock the heart back into a normal , healthy rhythm. An AED recognizes when an individual is suffering cardiac arrest, advises the operator that a shock is needed, and delivers the electric shock. When paired with CPR, an AED can dramatically increase the likelihood that an SCA victim will survive. Chain of Survival- A sequence of four events that must happen as quickly as possible in response to a cardiac emergency. The four links are early access, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care. Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA)- This act instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make recommendations to promote public access to defibrillation programs in federal and other public buildings. The act also extends the Good Samaritan protections to AED users and the purchasers of the device in all states.  Congenital Heart Defects, including Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) - According to the American Heart Association congenital heart defects affect 1 in 110 births. Most are undiagnosed until suffering sudden cardiac arrest, and often death. According to the Center for Disease Control 7,000 to 14,000 young people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest every YEAR.  36% of these deaths are directly attributed to HCM. 1 in 500 people of the general population have HCM.  SCA claims more lives each year than these other diseases combined