I have been working on a special project over the past few years.

I am trying to get a bill passed that would require all medical physicians to inform parents of the dangers of undetected heart defects during the routine physical necessary before entering kindergarten. It all started when I went to my mom with a concern. I told her that I was worried about my friends playing hard on the playground and in the field. Knowing the dangers I wondered how many might be at risk. I then asked her what I could do. She encouraged me to write letters and send e-mails. I listened to her advice and got started immediately. I contacted the local newspapers, television stations, State Representatives, Senators, the Governor, and the President. I have received many responses and continue to work for the cause. The following will give you an idea of why I am so dedicated.

About 36,000 children are born with a heart defect each year. Congenital heart defects are sometimes not detected at birth. Many may not be detected until the child is older or even an adult. That may be too late. Children that do sports or just play hard may be at risk. Sometimes activity can trigger a sudden death by aggravating an undetected cardiac abnormality. I was lucky. My ASD (atrioventricular septal defect) was detected early and repaired when I was five. What about all those other children? Thousands of babies are born each year with cardiovascular defects. Some are detected and some are not. Heart failure can happen to all children. But with detection many of the causes can be repaired, even if the defect is severe. That is why I think it is so important that children have an EKG and echocardiogram before they enter kindergarten. Maybe if parents were aware they would have their children screened. An electrocardiogram is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat. It gives two kinds of information. How long the electrical wave takes to pass through the heart. This helps determine if the heartbeat is normal or slow, fast or irregular. It also helps determine if parts of the heart are too large or over worked. An echocardiogram shows the structure of the heart and the surrounding blood vessels, how well blood is flowing through the heart and the vessels. It can detect nearly every congenital heart defect. Both of these tests are simple and can be performed in a physicians office or clinic. They are not painful and do not take a long time to administer. The cost of each test is minimal compared to the wealth of information that can be obtained and used to save lives. Nine of every 1,000 infants born each year have a heart defect. Research is ongoing. Today almost 35 defects have been identified. About 650,000 to 1.3 million Americans with cardiovascular defects are alive today, Charlee Mione being one of them. Almost all defects can be repaired. We just have to detect them early. This project has really changed my life. I took a negative experience and made it positive. I know with hard work and determination you can bring about

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change. My original idea was submitted to bill drafting. Due to the economy my proposed bill was not supported. I went back to the drawing board. With the help from my mom I rewrote my idea and put it into correct language. We are now seeking support at the state and local level.