Healthy athlete had no symptoms before mandatory heart screening revealed hidden defect

A high-school student-athlete with a potentially life-threatening heart defect had no symptoms and only learned of his condition through a screening required by Florida law.

The state’s Second Chance Act went into effect July 1 ahead of the 2026-2027 school year and requires students in grades 9 through 12 to undergo at least one electrocardiogram (ECG) screening the first time they participate in or try out for interscholastic athletics, with certain exceptions, affiliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.