For the past two seasons, my son Alex was a member of the football team at Northwood High School in Irvine. He played freshman in 2006 and was a member of a combined JV/Varisty team last fall. Northwood recently lost a young man, Dylan Bradshaw, who collapsed after a a Spring football practice in late May. He went into cardiac arrest and died a short time later. I gave Dylan a ride home after a summer camp practice last summer. I didn’t know him. Alex did. Dylan was a polite and nice young man, appreciative of a ride home on a hot summer day.
The coroner’s office reports that the cause of Dylan’s death was a congential heart defect; something that the basic physical that high school athletes at Northwood receive before the season starts would not uncover.
Dylan’s death is a tragedy for all involved; his mom, who gave a moving eulogy of her son at the service; the players on the team who lost a friend, the coaches and administrators at Northwood. Its simply a tragedy to lose a healthy 15 year old boy with his whole life ahead of him.Â
The team and coaching staff has dedicated their season to Dylan. It’s a selfless and commendable act by a closeknit community.
That said, I encourage parents of any high school athlete to get a thorough physical from their family doctor. I remember the physicals I got in high school and they were a lot more thorough than the one my son had to start football (no “turn your head and cough”, for example). I don’t know if the physicals administered at Northwood are based on a school standard, an IUSD standard or a CIF standard; and I’m no doctor. But I would prefer to place the trust of my children’s health in the hands of our personal physician over the physicals administered at my kid’s high school. X-Rays, EKGs, the whole nine yards.
And I think the coaching staff needs to review the medical release forms for their players so they can keep a better eye on some kids. My own son has a hearing loss and coaches were unaware of this even though it was on forms I had to complete.Â
After Dylan’s death, this story came out about more rigorous screening at IUSD. I’m glad its in place, but I don’t think its enough.Â