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SC Middle School Student Suffers Fatal Heart Attack After Tryouts

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(credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)

(credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)

SUMTER, S.C. (CBS Charlotte/AP) — A 13-year-old Sumter middle school student has died after suffering a heart attack following basketball tryouts.

Sumter School District spokeswoman Shelly Galloway told The Item of Sumter a staff member was with eighth-grader Tiffany Amber Cleckley on Tuesday when she collapsed in the office at Mayewood Middle School.

Galloway says an off-duty medical professional administered CPR and used an automated defibrillator until paramedics arrived.

Coroner Harvin Bullock said Cleckley was taken to a hospital, where she died. Bullock said an autopsy found a heart attack caused the death.

According to the American Heart Association if heart failure is caused by over circulation due to a congential heart defect, surgery is often necessary to repair the defect.

Unfortunately, for eight-grader Tiffany Amber, she will never get that chance to play basketball again.

Principal John Koumas says Cleckley will be greatly missed.

Galloway said students are required to submit a physical before participating in tryouts. Counselors were at the school to help students and faculty cope with the loss.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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  • Annie

    Unheard of when i was young. says a lot about the drugs and chemicals in everything now.

    • Shayne

      When I was in grade school, one of my classmates died of a heart attack. In his case, he had no family history of heart issues and therefore, doctors rationalized whatever warnings he may have had (and from what I heard, there really weren’t) we thought to be minor. So there goes your theory.

    • ebkk

      agreed, prob had gardasil vaccine prior. over 2,000 girls died worldwide so far & thats only the “reported” ones. of course, big pharm & cdc always say there is no “evidence to support it was due to the vaccine. Many have allergic reactions to the stuff in those poison shots.

      • Mike Notsaying

        whats sick is there giving it to boys now too {gardisil} guess boys get cervical cancer now …..mmmm hmmmm {think about it for a sec ….}

      • draperreunion

        According to the the CDC, after over 40 million doses given, there have been around 70 deaths-and not all of them directly proven to be caused by the vaccine–and the great emt mike–boys take the vaccine so they won’t get HPV–and spread it. Hey Mike go finish another year at your community college before you spout off about things you know nothing about.

      • NanNJ

        It’s actually 63 deaths that can be directly linked to vaccine and well over 17,500 reactions, some permanent and those are the reported ones. All vaccines are, are a money making farce. Now we are watching drug companies race to develop drugs to rectify the damage they did with the assault on our immune systems.

      • Sara Cofresi

        @Mike Notsaying: Did you really read the article…it was a girl that died of a heart attack. I not saying she was given Garasil….but it was a girl!

      • James

        There is absolutely no evidence that this is what happened here, even if what you’re saying about these vaccines is true–which I doubt. Most likely scenario: the kid probably had a congenital heart defect which had gone undetected. Happens all the time.

      • Elaine

        You are so right! Don’t get the gardasil shot…it’s causing seizures, warts, cancer, neurological damage and death… It’s all part of the governments way to do population control! Killing off a buch of people…they are going to try to make it mandatory, that kids get the shot !!!!

    • Steve

      All persons should have an EKG done at least once during childhood. It should be standard screening. It lasts less than 15 seconds and can often be done in the doctor’s office if they have a machine.. It doesn’t catch all disorders the way that an echocardiogram and Holter monitor would, but it would help to prevent many sudden deaths in children like this that occur every year.

      • Fred

        Lots of idiotic comments here. As a cardiologist, I understand that mass screening will only yield far more false positives than finding true disease. Now, if you want to pay out of pocket to have your ECG done, more power to you, as long as you understand what non-specific abnormalities are and could lead to. I get almost daily referrals for abnormal ECGs that are really normal – talk about driving up health care costs.

        Chances are in this case an electrocardiogram wouldn’t have detected the problem anyway which may have been structural or transient.

        The real problem in this case is the sensationalism about it, instead of focusing on the tragedy and comforting the family.

      • Mike Notsaying

        fred i appreciate your advice but remember this is a news article where ideas are debated , the place for condolences is at the blog spot funeral or obituary’s look into this kids medical history i bet you find he was vaccinated recently

      • Dano

        I’m glad you’re not my cardiologist Fred. ECGs are not that expensive and it seems like you feel inconvenienced about the referrels for false positives. You should be happy to deliver the news that alll is well for your patient and that they did not take a risk with their health. Steve is correct, and instead of calling him idiotic you should be happy that some people believe in preventative medicine. Could save a life.

      • Gyngr Ninja

        Dano
        False Positive means a test (like an ECG) is found to be positive (ie a problem exists) when in fact there is no problem. When a false positive is found, further testing ((and cost) must be undertaken to find the problem or refute the false positive. If a given test has a high incidence of false positives in scientific literature, then it’s reliability in the field is limited. Most people, though, aren’t aware of the cost or the reliability of a given test, and simply want the peace of mind that testing brings, as your post reflects.

      • Noahfingwhey

        Yes an EKG is a constitutional right and should be paid for by someone else preferably through either a tax on an evil company, an energy surcharge on SUVs, or maybe confiscating all the wealth from everyone making over $30,000 per yr and it dividing up among all the peoples. You know, like Zerobama said, “Spread the wealth around a little”.

      • beedogs

        Noahfingwhey: give the political BS a rest, will you? Pathetic.

      • Mike

        You’re not a cardiologist, Fred.

      • TheNervii

        I’m a pediatrician, and I concur with Fred. Rare things happen rarely…and from the report, hard to say whether it was really an MI, from premature atherosclerotic disease, or abnormal anatomy like an aberrant coronary artery (which can get squeezed, essentially, during exertion), aortic dissection from Marfan’s (another comment below), arrhythmia, or IHSS (several comments.)

        This is utterly sad, but if we are to attempt to prevent every human death, well, there isn’t enough money in the world to pay for the tests we all need. That’s the sad fact.

        Pre-participation history (the important half often neglected) and physicals can be useful, especially when done by really careful clinicians, but they’re not 100% effective at preventing bad outcomes. Nothing is.

    • Spanky

      “Unheard of when i was young.”

      That’s because when you were young, information didn’t flow as freely as it does now, not because it didn’t happen.

      • Ben

        Actually you are exactly wrong and there is no irony wasted on the fact that with a few google searches you can see how disease rate are shooting up per capita.

        We are being mass murdered by the zionists IMO.

        When I was a kid, we had to go to the doctor and get a physical before sports. That was back when medical was reasonably priced. Before the zionist got control of it.

    • Angus Stinkfist

      When you were young Annie people were more worried about the black death…

    • Rick

      Hmmm. Bush may have had something to do with this.

    • theJackal

      Your an idiot Annie and Jonathan, congenetal heart defects have been around for thousands of years, they’ve found mummies with heart defects. Your liberal brainwashed pathetic mind always resorts back to liberal bile and talking points. Get a life. God bless the litle girl and her family.

    • jerrystroud

      Annie, you never ever heard of congenital heart disease until now? Have you been hiding under a rock all your life? Yes children do die from heart disease if there is a congenital defect that has gone undetected. It has been happening since before man started walking up right. Yes, this happens to wild monkeys too!!

    • Dennis Zellaha

      Not so, but very rare, just like this story!

  • Davie

    a) there was no internet to read this story when you were young b) it was a heart condition probably inherent since conception or birth

    • Otis

      Yup. I concur

    • Mike Notsaying

      like i said if you love vaccines and trust that kids are just dyin off in hoards and its coincidence go get vaccinated for everything they have to offer ill see ya in icu when you are tellin me im right with your last breath

  • http://canisunfamiliaris.wordpress.com canisunfamiliaris

    Annie, don’t be ridiculous. Dying of a congenital heart defect was much MORE common “back in the day,” because we couldn’t fix them. Nowadays, children were are born with defects often have surgery as babies, or sometimes even in the womb. Doctors can do amazing things with heart defects now.

    The reason you may not have heard of it when you were young is because the news is much less regional than it used to be. With the advent of 24-hour news networks, we all end up seeing more bad news, because stations pick up on them much faster than a happy story. “If it bleeds, it leads”?

    But hey, maybe this girl totally died because of fluoride in the water, BPA in receipts, or whatever your scary chemical of choice is. /rolleyes

    • otis

      yup I concur

    • better than you

      what a dumb comment, canis

      • sheesh

        Your comment makes you look dumber! LOL!

      • USArmyCombatMedic

        with nothing to back it up, your comment makes you look like a moron. Not only was canis correct, but he/she used logical reasoning. you, on the other hand, backed up your theory with…nothing.

      • theJackal

        Better than you, actualy canis is spot on. You are obviously an uneducated dolt. Everything canis menitioned is true. Chemicals don’t cause congenetal heart defects you morons. And thousands more people died of these things before flouride, BPA ect. one has NOTHING to do with the other. Liberals are so damn stupid.

  • american

    Did he eat alot of sushi from Japan?

    • Just wondering in Hawaii

      Did you even read the article?

      • Brian

        What article? ;)

    • Spanky

      Nobody eats sushi from Japan except people in Japan. Sushi has to be cut fresh.

      • Mike Notsaying

        that’s not quite true, i remember seeing my friend {who is is the catering business} opening a overnight package of fish from Hawaii sent via ups , it is common for fish to be sent via overnight crate – not saying anyone’s dumb enough to buy sushi from japan but hey it IS possible

    • Tom Menino

      The article is about a girl, asshat

  • janet

    The unfortunate thing about these conditions is that oftehtimes a regular checkup for a sports physical will not find these defects. Unless a child has symptoms when exercising like a shortness of breath or inability to keep up with the other kids, there is no way to know of a congenital defect until its too late.

    • Spanky

      Our school district offers free ekgs to all high school freshmen as a means of catching such problems. In the five-plus years they’ve been giving the tests, they’ve yet to find one kid with such a problem. It’s pretty rare.

      • Noahfingwhey

        Rare, yet they spare no expense. Five years and nothing revealed. To be safe I think schools should hire a personal cardiologists for each student to monitor their health 24/7. They should also provide a personal Planned Parenthood rep for each student so they get a condom when they want to have sex in History class. The PP rep could also take them immediately to get treatment for STDs and an abortion.

  • Alvin Marcott

    this is what happens when you get a national healthcare system. sad really.

    • USArmyCombatMedic

      while i loathe the idea of a national healthcare system, this has nothing to do with it. truly sad; we agree on that.

      • draperreunion

        Of course you loathe it–you’re in the Army–you have free healthcare.

      • USArmyCombatInfantryman

        draperreunion, I assume you never served, because only a dumb@$$ civilian who never had the balls to serve would make such an idiotic comment.

      • USArmyCombatInfantryman

        Nothing is “free” when you serve.

  • jane

    Many of the children in the area affected by chernobyl incident suffered from heart problems as well as various cancers. This was because the minerals in their bodies were replaced by radioactive metals such as cesium. They went into premature heart failure because these heavy metals inhibit DNA repair. The radiation from Fukushima is already ubiquitous in the northern hemisphere, so be prepared to see a slew of heart failure in children as well as various/rare cancers and leukemias in the next few years.

    • Rod Anders

      I am a radiation amelioration arbitrator. Jane, you are 100% correct.

    • craig

      WOW!!!! how much radiation did those at chernobyl get exposed to??????? that was a horrific accident. but lets be realistic. don’t get scared by everything you read and hear. biological defects are a part of life. defects happen with or with out harmful radiation. the human body is very complex and a lot of things can go wrong. have you ever thought of that????? i don’t think you have. you want to blame it on something. hence, “Its the horrible radiation that causes all of our problems!!!!!!” have you ever thought how much radiation one would have to be exposed to to have a negative effect?? go look up some numbers.

      • Jonathan A Acord

        Shut up Craig you sound like a fool.

      • RJ OGuillory

        Craig,…no we don’t have to look around to see the “numbers” of the “negative effect of radiation”,…we can simply study Hiroshima, Nagasaki, New Mexico and the entire blanket of radiation that oozed across Europe from Russia during the aftermath of the Russian Nuclear debacle,….of which Fukishima will make a Piker in terms of death, deformity and damage.

        …or perhaps you’d like to care for those deformed kids in Iraq who have been born without hands, legs, arms and eyes due to the use of depleted uranium bombs and bullets,…?

        Annie may have been a bit extreme, but if you think the human body and the planet can continuously absorb new, different or combined chemical stews without being damaged or influenced, (especially radiation) then you are all as stupid as I thought…..

        And,… if you still think you are correct, go on and Google Times Beach Missouri,…a St. Louis suburb that they had to close-off for decades and build an incinerator complex in the town, simply to “burn off” the top 3-4 feet of topsoil from the entire city,…..the damned place still sits next to the Meremac River, dumping dioxin into the down flow stream, as they continue to “monitor” the ghost town of empty buildings, lots and playgrounds…

        …all because some guy wanted to get rid of his dioxin without having to pay for it’s removal,….so he mixed the chemical up in his asphalt/tar mixture and applied it to the streets of Times Beach when he got the contract to repave and stripe the city’s roads….

        …so bless the child who died of heart-related issues, and to her parents, we wish you the best in recovering from your loss,….

        ….but for the “Craigs” of this world, hopefully you will grow in your intellectual capacity during your lifetime, or perhaps tragedy and trauma will be your teacher, guide and mentor to a life of mature thought and analysis…..

        Regards,

        RJ O’Guillory
        Author-
        Webster Groves-The Life of an Insane Family

    • jane
    • theJackal

      Congenital heart defects aren’t caused by “radiation”. Bhahahahha you liberals are a joke. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Yeah they were alot of heart defects after Hiroshima(stupid). Radiation doesn’t effect heart tissue. Its effect rapidly dividing cells like blood, plasma (Leukemia) and gastrointestinal linings and for massive fatal doses the radiation will effect your nervous system. Keep on showing your stupid liberal.

  • Rod Anders

    Why is a girl trying out for basketball?

    • Riley

      Wow don’t you look stupid. Girls are allowed to play basketball, too.

      • Rod Anders

        Just because they’re allowed, doesn’t mean they can or should. Being stupid, you wouldn’t know that.

    • PatriotMom1776

      Hahahaha, Rod – seriously?? What rock did you crawl out from under??? Perhaps the nutrient deficit you’ve been experiencing is affecting your reasoning and comprehension abilities.

      Take up your question with Nancy Liberman Cline – professionaly basketball player, she would squash you like a bug, doofus.

      • theJackal

        Bhahaha, the WNBA now that’s funny! Are you among the 3200 people that actually watch the WNBA? Any Divison I high school boys team could crush and team from the WNBA, they suck! Watching a game is like watching a really lousy high school boys team. As for Nancy Liberman Cline, I could snap her neck like a chicken bone. That’s who you think is tough? Bhahahahahaa!

    • Failed_Success

      This is why you are a single, and will forever be, you lonely idiot. Good luck reproducing, let alone getting a mate besides your hand.

      • Failed_Success

        @ Rod Anders.

    • Elaine

      They have girls basketball teams!!!! You have a lot of catching up to do! LOL

  • Jessica

    God bless Tiffany and her family.

    • Aaron

      About the only thougthful comment on this whole section. Thank you Jessica and my prayers to Tiffany and her family.

      • jrdrop

        Aaron: “About the only thougthful comment on this whole section. Thank you Jessica and my prayers to Tiffany and her family.”

        Cosign.

  • natemann

    Really sad when Drudge unleashes his hoards of ignorant and heartless drones on these sorts of articles. My thoughts to this family who have to be going through the unthinkable right now.

    • USArmyCombatMedic

      Come on. You ignorantly attack a group of people for being ignorant. I came here from Drudge – that doesn’t make me heartless. Tell me, how have I wronged you?

      You want to live in peace. Then stop hating.

      • Rod Anders

        natemann never said he wanted to live in peace. natemann believes he is Jesus. Jesus said, “I come not to bring peace, but a sword!”

    • Spanky

      Ah, so you DO blame the Tea Party!

  • Your Mom

    You’re pretty ignorant, Mr. Professional.

  • Eric Kirkbright

    A life lost through no ones fault. No one to blame, no one to rage against in greif. Tears can not remake the smiles lost, the happiness treasured, the hopes unbound.

    Memories are poor comfort for hearts sticken in sorrow. Comfort itself banished as an undeserved solice in the face of such loss. If only becomes a bottomless curse for those in grief.

    I plead with you all not to detract what joys this child brought to lives of others. Bring youself, if only briefly, to offer a single kindness in memory of a lost child.

    Sincerely
    Eric Kirkbright

    • Rod Anders

      Very well put.

  • jeff

    i guess that means we have outlaw basketball now !!

  • Augusta

    Please take the time to research Rhabdomyylosis. My son nearly died just weeks ago from it. Overtraining (basketball) and not enough fluids were contributing factors. We were told just a few minutes more and they wouldve had to call the coroner, not the ambulance. It can shut down your major organs in no time. Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! Our teachers and coaches should be better versed on Rhabdo. Lives could be saved. So sorry for the familys loss. So tragic.

  • jeff b

    I wonder about all the energy drinks kids consume today. I wouldn’t be surprised that unless there is something hereditary involved, this is a possibility.

  • CommonCents

    Fact is, these things happen: it’s a matter of risk, genetics, and fate.

    i.e. Might have been unfit, might have been congenital… or a fluke.

  • josh

    Poor child. Imagine not knowing why you are dying in middle school.

    • Spanky

      Would knowing at that age make it any better?

  • Chuck

    One of the common drugs widely used by children that has an increased risk of heart attack is is Primatene Mist.

    • Rod Anders

      Was she taking Primatene Mist?

  • dooky

    Sickle cell gets em everytime

  • lovetron

    No more basketball for middle-schoolers! Save the kids!

  • Philip B Kirschner

    The illness is called Hypertrophic CardioMyopahy, which can lead to a fatal heart rythmm. The child would have benefited from an ICD. for more information contact http://wwww.4hcma.org.

    • Mike Notsaying

      would the parents health come into this picture prior to birth …. comon think for a second

  • Sophie

    Possible – Marfan Syndrome. Unless she had an Echo, you wouldn’t be able to determine the enlargement of the Aorta until a disection.

    http://www.marfan.org

    Spontanious mutations are about 1 in 5000 or so.

    If one parent has Marfan, the chance of passing it on is 50/50.

  • Spanky

    Blame video games, “dirty dancing,” and standardized testing!

  • http://kentuckynewsjournal.com/sc-middle-school-student-suffers-fatal-heart-attack-after-tryouts-%c2%ab-cbs-charlotte/ SC Middle School Student Suffers Fatal Heart Attack After Tryouts « CBS Charlotte | Kentucky News Journal

    [...] SC Middle School Student Suffers Fatal Heart Attack After Tryouts « CBS Charlotte. Tags: heart attack, middle school student, sumter school district [...]

  • CashMcCall

    Hypertrophic CardioMyopahy or IHSS is the likely diagnosis. It is not picked up without an echo. It is tragic fortunately it is rare. Sadly, we can x-ray everyone boarding an aircraft but we can’t echo the hearts of children which is not a difficult procedure.

    If the child had a history of shortness of breath, squatting down during or after exercise, or faintness following exercise; those would have been clues to tip off parents and their pediatrician that the child may have had an underlying heart condition.

    Pistol Pete Maravich the greatest college basketball player of all time, died at 40 years of age from a congenital defect in which he had no Left Coronary Artery. He never had an echo in spite of the fact that he was a college star and professional star. It gives you some indication as to how the body can in some cases compensate for otherwise potentially lethal defects.

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