Premier Magazine Premier Magazine July 2019 | Page 9

Felipe de la Cruz lost his life to Sudden
Cardiac Arrest.
Gina Gorrell
Adrienne Brandes, Holly Morrell and RJ Brandes.
"Unfortunately, we can't bring back the children that we have lost, but
we can protect the kids who are out there playing today."
Holly Morrell, founder of Heartfelt, hugging Gina, who lost her son to SCA. . After
testing Gina, her life was saved as it was discovered she had the same condition her
son passed from.
Heartfelt is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives
from sudden cardiac death through early detection, education, and
increased public awareness. Heartfelt offers comprehensive cardiac
evaluation valued at $1,500 per person for a nominal donation or
without charge, when possible, in an attempt to save lives through
early detection.
“Sudden cardiac death is the no. 1 killer in the U.S.,” Morrell said. “It’s
also is the no. 1 killer of women in this county. Marathon runners,
Olympic athletes, professional athletes, World Cup soccer players,
and high school athletes are dying every three days in the United
States. Early detection isn’t generally available to the public, at least
without it being an enormous financial burden,” Ms. Morrell said.
“The type of screening that Heartfelt offers cost about $1,500,
conservatively speaking, and it’s not typically covered by insurance.”
Heartfelt supporter, Surterre Properties' Adrienne Brandes, has
raised over $40,000.00 to offer cardiac screenings to over 450 kids.
"We're going to save lives and protect children," said Ms. Brandes.
In 2018 Heartfelt, along with Adrienne and R.J. Brandes, announced
their exclusive partnership with SilverLakes, the nationally renowned
sports complex in Norco with a primary emphasis on youth soccer.
The inaugural event in February 2018 was dedicated to the memory
of young Felipe De La Cruz, who had played in tournaments at
SilverLakes. Since then, close to 1,000 young athletes have received
reduced-cost cardiac screenings at SilverLakes Sports Park.
SilverLakes x Heartfelt screenings have saved lives from the very
beginning. Gina Gorrell had tragically lost her son, Austin, to sudden
cardiac death in 2015. Still grieving, she thought that volunteering at
the first screening event in 2018 might help her feel better. As the
event was winding down, the cardiologists on site that day urged her
to get screened. The screening revealed in Gina the same
cardiomyopathy that had taken Austin's life. She was referred for
surgery, and an implanted device now stands ready to revive her
should her heart stop. Her instinct to heal herself by helping others
ultimately saved her life.
In November Kellan McAthy, an active 9-year-old who loves soccer
and football attended a SilverLakes x Heartfelt screening. He was
found to have a very rare heart abnormality. Kellan's parents were
unaware of any heart problems and were relieved that his life was
protected by the screening and the discovery of this potentially
life-threatening condition.
Heartfelt expects to screen over 3,000 kids in 2019. Please visit
HeartfeltScreening.org to read more about Heartfelt and the vital
work they do.
AdrienneBrandes.com | 9