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His mom pushed for free heart screenings – then that test changed her son's life
Дата публикации: 01-07-2026 19:40:21



A young South Florida boy looked perfectly healthy until a simple heart screening revealed a hidden condition that required surgery.
Now, a new Florida law requires heart screenings for student athletes, and his family says one test changed his life.
Seven-year-old Jamie Merilus is a typical second grader who loves playing sports. He felt healthy and had no symptoms until a preventative heart screening revealed something abnormal.
“The doctors found out, and they said I needed to have surgery,” Jamie said.
Jamie’s mom, Susana Peñaranda, helped launch a City of Miami initiative with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to provide free heart screenings for children.
“My son, Jamie, is one out of 47 cases that were found abnormal screenings,” Peñaranda said.
She said the discovery was a full-circle moment because the initiative ultimately benefited her own family.
“I was in shock, and I think it speaks to the importance of this EKG initiative,” Peñaranda said. “My son was asymptomatic. We had no suspicion. He was playing soccer.”
Dr. Danyal Khan, a pediatric cardiologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, said Jamie was found to have a hole in his heart.
“At this age, it might not present with symptoms, but later on, as your heart becomes more dilated and more tired from working overtime, it can start producing symptoms,” Khan said.
Jamie had two heart procedures.
But not every child gets that kind of warning, and sometimes the results can be deadly. Last year, Belen Jesuit water polo player Lucas Osuna collapsed after suffering sudden cardiac arrest. He later died from an undiagnosed heart condition.
“Approximately one in 100 kids will be born with a heart problem,” Khan said. “Out of all the organs in your body in which something can go wrong, the heart is the commonest place that something can go wrong.”
Cases like these drove Florida lawmakers to pass the Second Chance Act in 2025. Starting this school year, students participating in high school sports will be required to have a one-time electrocardiogram before they compete.
“If I would have never had him screened, I probably would have never really known or found out in this way,” Peñaranda said.
For Jamie, he is back to doing what he loves most.
“Chase your dreams,” Jamie said.
When asked what her dream is for her son, Peñaranda said she wants him to dream big.
“I’m here to support you any way that I can,” she said.
Thanks to a screening his mom helped launch to protect other children, Jamie now has the chance to keep doing just that.
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital offers free heart screenings at its locations. The test takes just a few minutes and involves patches (electrodes) attached to different parts of the body.


Основное содержимое страницы с новостью.

A young South Florida boy looked perfectly healthy until a simple heart screening revealed a hidden condition that required surgery.

Now, a new Florida law requires heart screenings for student athletes, and his family says one test changed his life.

Seven-year-old Jamie Merilus is a typical second grader who loves playing sports. He felt healthy and had no symptoms until a preventative heart screening revealed something abnormal.

“The doctors found out, and they said I needed to have surgery,” Jamie said.

Jamie’s mom, Susana Peñaranda, helped launch a City of Miami initiative with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to provide free heart screenings for children.

“My son, Jamie, is one out of 47 cases that were found abnormal screenings,” Peñaranda said.

She said the discovery was a full-circle moment because the initiative ultimately benefited her own family.

Your Health

“I was in shock, and I think it speaks to the importance of this EKG initiative,” Peñaranda said. “My son was asymptomatic. We had no suspicion. He was playing soccer.”

Dr. Danyal Khan, a pediatric cardiologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, said Jamie was found to have a hole in his heart.

“At this age, it might not present with symptoms, but later on, as your heart becomes more dilated and more tired from working overtime, it can start producing symptoms,” Khan said.

Jamie had two heart procedures.

But not every child gets that kind of warning, and sometimes the results can be deadly. Last year, Belen Jesuit water polo player Lucas Osuna collapsed after suffering sudden cardiac arrest. He later died from an undiagnosed heart condition.

“Approximately one in 100 kids will be born with a heart problem,” Khan said. “Out of all the organs in your body in which something can go wrong, the heart is the commonest place that something can go wrong.”

Cases like these drove Florida lawmakers to pass the Second Chance Act in 2025. Starting this school year, students participating in high school sports will be required to have a one-time electrocardiogram before they compete.

“If I would have never had him screened, I probably would have never really known or found out in this way,” Peñaranda said.

For Jamie, he is back to doing what he loves most.

“Chase your dreams,” Jamie said.

When asked what her dream is for her son, Peñaranda said she wants him to dream big.

“I’m here to support you any way that I can,” she said.

Thanks to a screening his mom helped launch to protect other children, Jamie now has the chance to keep doing just that.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital offers free heart screenings at its locations. The test takes just a few minutes and involves patches (electrodes) attached to different parts of the body.

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