HISD to offer free heart screenings to student-athletes at August event

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Independent School District is offering middle and high school student-athletes free screenings for potentially deadly heart defects.

The inaugural screening event will be on Saturday, August 3 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Delmar Fieldhouse on Mangum in northwest Houston.

Cheerleaders, band members and students who participate in similar activities can receive the electrocardiograms (EKGs) for free.

The district says EKGs can detect diseases such as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the walls of the heart muscle to thicken. It can be fatal.

The non-invasive medical test normally costs about $50. It should take about 10 minutes.

Students will receive results on the day of the event and will also be provided with resources and referrals, if necessary.

RELATED: New law would make heart tests available for all student athletes in Texas

The event is taking place as Cody's Law goes into effect in Texas.

A Crosby family has been pushing for free student-athlete EKGs since the death of 18-year-old Cody Stephens in 2012.

His family says an EKG would have caught the heart conditions they believe led to his death.

Cody's Law gives student-athletes the option for an EKG during their standard physical, beginning this school year.

You can sign up for the HISD screenings here.

Students should being their ID.