Early detection prevents untimely deaths

Robie Foundation holds heart screening for children, By Lori Price Sparta — He was one of three — triplets Sophia, Grace and Robie Masterson. On Nov. 4, 2004, a couple of weeks shy of his fourth birthday, Robie died unexpectedly from a congenital heart defect, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, or more commonly known as a heart murmur. Kathleen Gagg of Sparta remembers hearing the devastating news. “Our children attended the same preschool in Ogdensburg,” she said. “I, like every parent, was stunned to think of these parents losing a child. I felt so hopeless and wanted to do whatever I could to help.” Soon after Robie’s death, Gagg got in touch with Debra Masterson. “Debra didn’t want another family to have to go through what they experienced,” Gagg said. “She really wanted to educate parents on the importance of detecting heart problems in their children, and she came up with The Robie Foundation.” Gagg, who serves as the foundation’s executive director, believes her friendship with Masterson and her involvement with The Robie Foundation was divine intervention. “My oldest daughter was diagnosed with asthma and later, through a second opinion, also diagnosed with a heart murmur,” she said. Gagg believes people are taught to accept what doctors tell them. However, if it wasn’t for her and her husband’s persistence, their daughter’s heart defect may not have been detected at all. Initially, the foundation’s mission was to educate and heighten awareness concerning congenital heart defects in children, which can result in sudden cardiac death. Recently, the foundation reached out to the community of Sparta by providing a heart screening for children. The event took place at the Sparta Middle School on Oct. 21 and 22. The service included a blood pressure reading, an EKG, and an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound for the heart. “Heart screening is performed on young athletes in other countries as a matter of routine,” Gagg said. “But here [in the United States] it is not, and the deaths of many young children could be avoided if these tests were administered.” Sparta doctor, Frank Kane, offered his services to assist in the screening of over 500 children who were registered. “There is certainly a need for these tests,” Kane said. “In the two days of screening we detected 10 potential heart issues that need to be further diagnosed. Two of these problems were considered serious.” According to Kane, it was a wonderful community effort, with Newton, Morristown, Hackettstown and St. Clare’s hospitals as well as Dr. Joel Hardin, director of Pediatric Cardiology of St. Barnabas Hospital, and the Children’s Heart Center of Newark, working with EMT workers. “Professionals and lay people all came together for such a good cause,” stated Kane. “And what a wonderful thing for the Mastersons to do.” The Robie Foundation plans to continue its mission of heart screening and education, and hopes to one day have every child receive a baseline echocardiogram as part of a routine physical. In the meantime, the foundation hopes to save lives by early detection. The foundation will be donating an automatic external defibrillator to the Sparta school district.