The Justin Carr Wants World Peace Foundation conducted free heart screenings in the Taper Athletic Pavilion March 7. Screenings were open to individuals aged 12 to 24.
Justin Carr was a junior on the school’s swim team who unexpectedly passed away in 2013 due to an undiagnosed heart condition called cardiomyopathy that caused Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). SCA is the leading cause of death for student-athletes and the second most common medical cause of death for people under the age of 25, according to the Mayo Clinic Health System.
Susan Carr (Justin Carr ’14) said it was more meaningful to bring the screening to the school after losing their home due to the fires earlier this year, as it was the message Justin would have wanted to g conveyggto his community.
“My husband and I lost our house of 25 years in the canyon fires which is where we raised Justin,” Carr said. “So the devil went for us, because we first lost Justin, and then we lost our house that had all the memories of Justin and his art because he wanted to be an architect. It’s a heartbreak, losing Justin and our house, and now we just have to move to a new city and try to get adjusted. We’ve experienced life-altering moments, but encouraging these kids to go ahead and pursue what they want to do is what Justin would’ve wanted. He said swimming made him feel free, and we allowed him to be who he was and do the things he loved to do. That’s what he wanted everybody else to do.”
External Vice President of the UCLA Saving Hearts Foundation Sasha Gladkikh said she admires the Carrs’ efforts and actions as they align with the goals of the organization.
“One of my biggest responsibilities is finding schools who are interested in getting their students screened for sudden cardiac arrest,” Gladkikh said. “I ultimately reached out to Harvard-Westlake and got connected to Susan Carr. We’re passionate about hosting these accessible, free heart screenings for the community, so all of us are inspired by Susan and Darrell Carr for hosting these events.”
Isabella Zhang ’27, who competed at the Justin Carr swim meet and got a heart screening, said she believes events like these allow athletes to verify and check in on their physical well-being.
“When I was there for the heart screening, a nurse there told me that Justin’s first symptom was death,” Zhang said. “I decided to get the heart screening because despite all the health benefits swimming gives me, I don’t know what is best for my body. I hope Justin’s story can raise more awareness on consistently checking up on the body and not fighting against it.”
