Heart of the matter: AdventHealth promotes cardiac care, donates AEDs to Seabreeze High

The results of an electrocardiogram might have saved the life of Seabreeze High School junior Brogan Kelly.

An ECG, also known as an EKG, is also credited with detecting former Penn State University football player Journey Brown’s heart condition.

Kelly and Brown were both in attendance as Erik Nason, AdventHealth’s manager of sports medicine for Volusia and Flagler counties, spoke about the importance of ECGs and student health screenings before a Seabreeze High junior varsity football game Aug. 24 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

AdventHealth also donated two automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Seabreeze High’s athletic training program. Nason presented the AEDs to Certified Athletic Trainer Tabitha Thode, the Sandcrabs’ assistant athletic trainer.

AdventHealth has been conducting free health screenings at Daytona International Speedway each spring for the past four years for Volusia County students, including athletes, band members and Jr. ROTC members, Nason said. During the past three years, those screenings have included ECGs, which are not required by the state or the county.

ECGs look for abnormal heart rhythms. Kelly’s ECG last April led to the detection of a heart condition. Kelly, who is a football player, wrestler and baseball player at Seabreeze, underwent open heart surgery in June.

“That (screening) took away a bunch of risk,” said Josh Kelly, Brogan’s father.

“If Brogan didn’t get testing and get screened, we don’t know what could have happened,” Nason said.

DIAGNOSIS LED TO NEW CAREER

Brown, who is now the front tire changer for Ross Chastain’s Trackhouse Racing team, was in town for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Aug. 26.

Brown was a running back for Penn State from 2017 to 2019. He had planned to play in 2020. Because of COVID, the NCAA required additional testing for athletes that summer, including ECGs.

The ECG result led to a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) for Brown. HCM is a disease in which the heart muscle becomes thickened. The diagnosis ended Brown’s football career, but a sudden hit on the football field could have caused him to go into cardiac arrest.

I would never have gotten screened if it hadn’t been for COVID. The ECG made them take notice. Then an MRI proved to me that I had a heart condition.”
— JOURNEY BROWN, former Penn State football player

“I would never have gotten screened if it hadn’t been for COVID,” Brown said. “The ECG made them take notice. Then an MRI proved to me that I had a heart condition.”

After meeting Shaun Peet, Trackhouse Racing’s pit crew coach, at an AdventHealth event, Brown joined NASCAR driver Chastain’s pit crew. AdventHealth is one of Trackhouse Racing’s sponsors.

Brown’s new career fills the competitive void he felt after walking away from football.

“Attention to detail and being consistent are two things they harp on in football and in NASCAR,” Brown said.

“The similarities helped me a lot, but in NASCAR you have to be a little more robotic,” in making the same moves during every pit stop, Brown said.

But his flexibility as a football player makes him an ideal candidate to be a pit crew member.

“I’m able to sit back on my knees and contort my body when I’m rolling the tire,” he said.

KELLY EXPECTS TO BE CLEARED SOON

Brogan Kelly expects to play football again for the Sandcrabs next season. He expects to play baseball in the spring and hopes to be able to wrestle beginning in December. He will know more after his next doctor’s appointment on Sept. 26.

“The worst case scenario is I’ll have to wait the full six months (from heart surgery), which is Dec. 16,” he said. “I’d miss a month of wrestling.”

Brogan goes to football practice every day to support his teammates.

“His coach (Lester Davis) has done a great job making him feel like he’s still part of the team,” said Barbara Kelly, Brogan’s mom.

Brogan said he’s been ready to go since August. He said he’s been doing a lot of walking and some jogging when possible, and hopes to be cleared for full contact on or before December.

AdventHealth partners with the Cocoa Beach nonprofit Who We Play For to schedule and help with health screenings.

Jeff Bosset, who works with Who We Play For along with his wife, Lori, also attended the presentation at the sports complex. Their daughter, Julia Bosset, suffered cardiac arrest during a basketball tryout at Seabreeze three years ago.

At the time, ECGs were not part of the free screenings. Julia Bosset, who did have a preexisting condition, underwent surgery and has recovered. The Bossets have been spreading the word about the importance of screenings and ECGs.

AdventHealth provides the screenings at the speedway each April.

Nason wants people to understand how the screenings can help save lives.

“We want to promote cardiac health, prevention and care,” Nason said.