STATEN ISLAND, NY — Staten Island leaders gathered Wednesday to advocate for expanded heart screening requirements for student athletes.
Council Member Kamillah Hanks, Dr. Mark Sherman, and the Wagner High School Falcon football team joined the Frank Reali III “Protecting One Young Heart at a Time” Foundation, at an event held at the Susan E. Wagner High School Football Field gate to promote Resolution 819.
The Frank Reali Resolution, introduced by Hanks who represents the North Shore, urges the New York State Legislature to expand the Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act to include mandatory echocardiograms for all public high school students before entering freshman year.
“Every year, we lose young lives to sudden cardiac arrest—lives that could be saved with early detection,” Hanks said. “By expanding access to non-invasive heart screenings, we can protect student athletes across our city and honor the life and legacy of Frank Reali III. Together, we can protect one young heart at a time.”
The initiative comes from the tragic death of Frank J. Reali III. He died from sudden cardiac arrest in 2007 at age 38. His family founded the Protecting One Young Heart at a Time Foundation, which has provided more than 4,000 free heart screenings to local youth.
“Our foundation’s mission is simple—to prevent another family from experiencing the heartbreak we endured,” said Fran Reali, co-founder of the foundation. “Each screening has the potential to save a life. We’re grateful to Councilmember Hanks for championing this cause and carrying our message to City Hall.”
The initiative, supported by Wagner High School’s football team and the Reali Foundation, aims to prevent sudden cardiac deaths through early detection.Michael Arvanites
Dr. Mark Sherman, an orthopedic surgeon and 45-year PSAL medical liaison who co-founded the Unity Games, emphasized the importance of early detection in preventing tragedies.
“Early detection saves lives,” Sherman said. “By making heart screenings accessible to all students, we can identify risks before they become tragedies. I’m an orthopedist, not a cardiologist, but when young athletes come in to get screened to play sports I’m not as worried about their young knees and ankles, as much as I worry about the heart that keeps everything going.”
The foundation will celebrate its ongoing work at the Protecting One Young Heart at a Time Frank Reali III Foundation Dinner on Monday, Oct. 27, at LiGreci’s Staaten.
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