St. Luke’s team helps teen athlete return to competition after heart rhythm diagnosis
A 17-year-old Pocono Mountain East High School athlete has returned to competition after doctors at St. Luke’s diagnosed and treated an abnormal heart rhythm that caused her to collapse during cross-country activities.
Heidi Regan first collapsed during a cross-country practice last year.
“I was just running, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground,” says Heidi who has since turned 17.
A few weeks later, Heidi fainted again during a cross-country meet and was taken by cart to the athletic trainer. A subsequent emergency room visit and initial testing, including an EKG, did not reveal anything unusual, but Heidi continued to feel something was wrong.
She discussed her symptoms with her primary care pediatrician, Jennifer Janco, MD, Chair of Pediatrics at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.
“Dr. Janco really listened to me,” Heidi says. “She believed there was more going on when everyone else thought everything was fine. She kept me calm and reassured me I wasn’t going crazy.”
Dr. Janco referred Heidi to Darren M. Traub, DO, a St. Luke’s cardiologist who specializes in heart rhythms.
“As a pediatrician, I feel it’s really important to connect with my teenage patients, giving them a space where they can express themselves and really talk to me,” Dr. Janco said. “I want them to know they are seen, they are heard, and I’m going to advocate for them.”
Before Heidi’s first cardiology appointment, Dr. Traub ordered an echocardiogram and a two-week Zio Patch, a wearable heart monitor that records heart rhythms over an extended period.
The monitor detected supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, an abnormal heart rhythm that can occur without warning.
On Dr. Traub’s recommendation, Heidi underwent a successful cardiac ablation at St. Luke’s and received an implantable loop recorder to continue monitoring her heart rhythm.
“The whole team treated me like I was one of their own,” Heidi says. “Dr. Traub didn’t just focus on my heart. He asked about prom, sports and how I was doing. That personal touch meant so much.”
One week after the procedure, Heidi was cleared to return to athletics. On her first day back, she competed for the Pocono Mountain East varsity track and field team in discus, jumping and running events.
“I credit Dr. Janco for recognizing that Heidi might have a heart issue and sending her my way for further evaluation,” Dr. Traub said. “Working together as a team, we diagnosed Heidi’s abnormal heart rhythm, which was the critical first step on the path toward treatment and recovery.
“I also credit Heidi. She had a great attitude that enabled her to get through and bounce back from the kind of serious health issue that not many people her age experience.”
Heidi has since returned to her normal activities without fear of fainting episodes and said the experience strengthened her desire to pursue a career in nursing.
“Everything I went through made me want to help other people,” Heidi says. “It pushed me even more toward becoming a nurse.”
“We’re so grateful to Dr. Janco and Dr. Traub,” Heidi says. “They worked together, they listened, and they gave me my life back.”
