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About us

About Play for Patrick

Patrick and his Eastview teammates were playing in the Blue Ox Hockey Bantam AA Tournament in Brainerd, MN. Patrick scored the game’s first goal and collapsed moments later on the ice. First responders were unable to revive him. It was later determined Patrick had numerous heart defects that caused his early death.

Patrick was a fun-loving teenager who is loved and respected by many. Patrick was a gentle giant. He was the “anti-bully” at school and stood up for those who could not. He made kids feel welcome with his smile and kindness. He was a great teammate and brought laughter and life to the locker room. He will forever be missed but never forgotten, and his legacy will live forever through the Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation and Play for Patrick Heart Screens.

The Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation was created to honor and remember Patrick Schoonover who passed away at the age of 14, due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), caused by undetected heart defects. The goal of the foundation is to bring SCA awareness, education, prevention and eliminate SCA in kids.

SCA is the leading cause of death among student athletes. The Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation offers Free Heart screens for ALL kids 14-24 throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area regardless of race, gender, income, or demographics.

Play For Patrick Heart Screens include checking of; Height/Weight, Blood Pressure, EKG (electrical current of the heart), Echocardiogram (video of the structure of the heart), Physician consultation and hands only CPR & AED training.

The foundation relies on volunteers to help with each event. Up to 100 medical & non-medical volunteers are needed to make the screens happen.

The donations received will help the foundation pay for the medical & non-medical supplies and equipment, lunch, refreshments, t-shirts for volunteers, as well as AEDs that are given to the host high school or club. The foundation does not have paid staff, so all donations are used for screening young hearts.

32

Play for Patrick youth heart screens conducted

5,527

Kids screened

345

Kids found 345 with elevated blood pressure

315

Kids with abnormal electrical or structural heart defects

4,445

Kids & adults taught CPR & AED awareness

18

Donated AEDs to area schools
Tommy Nash

Tommy Nash passed away from Sudden Cardiac Arrest on December 12th, 2021 at the age of 14 while sledding with his sisters and cousin after a classic Minnesota snowstorm. It's believed Tommy had a arrhythmia related to an unknown genetic defect.

Tommy was, without fail, the funniest and kindest person in the room. Whether it be a party, a classroom, or a family gathering, Tommy was the light shining on others to bring them Joy. Tommy was a Freshman at Mound Westonka High School where he enjoyed being part of the boys volleyball team. Tommy's supreme uniqueness was evident in everything he did from aspiration to be an Olympic Speed Walker to his enthusiasm for finding the perfect outfit at Goodwill. He loved Harry Styles and Christmas Trees. He adored his friends, family, and especially his dog Finnegan. Soon after his death, a #BeLikeTommy movement began to encourage people to be kind, accepting, and to bring joy to each other, like Tommy did every day of his life.

Teddy Dowdle

Teddy Dowdle passed away unexpectedly on May 4th, 2022 at the age of 22.

Teddy, a 2018 East Ridge High School graduate was born with a congenital heart defect, bicuspid aortic valve. At the age of 16, he had a successful surgery to replace his aortic valve and as a result, he was cleared to play basketball. On May 4th, 2022 Teddy collapsed suffering sudden cardiac arrest while playing a pickup game of basketball with his brother and friends. CPR was administered but there was no immediate access to an AED. It has become the family's mission to push for widespread access and availability of AED's.

Teddy's legacy will live on through the Teddy's Heart Foundation, which raises funds to place AED's in public athletic parks and places.

Patrick Schoonover

Patrick Schoonover passed away from Sudden Cardiac Arrest on November 14th, 2014 at the age of 14.

Patrick was a fun-loving teenager who is loved and respected by all. He brought laughter and life to all who knew him. Patrick and his Eastview teammates were playing in the Blue OX Hockey Bantam AA Tournament in Brainerd, MN. Patrick scored the game's 1'st goal and collapsed moments later on the ice. First Responders were unable to revive him. His heart condition was never detected during routine physicals. It was later determined that he had numerous heart defects that caused his early death.

Patrick will forever be missed, but never forgotten. His legacy will live forever through the Play For Patrick Foundation.

Kyli Penner

Kyli Penner was found to have a half-inch hole in her heart at an October 2015 Play for Patrick Heart Screening.

16-year-old Kyli Penner was discovered to have a condition would affect her lungs and could have lead to a full heart transplant. Thankfully, the problem was found before any of those things could have happened. She underwent successfully surgery to repair the problem shortly after it was discovered. Kyli was soon back on her feet dancing with the Rosemount High School Dance Team.

Kyli has given back to the Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation by volunteering to teach others how to save lives with CPR and AED training at screenings.

Kaylyn Rosewell

Kaylyn Rosewell collapsed and survived two cardiac arrests at a dance recital on June 2, 2019.

16 year-old Kaylyn Rosewell is a competitive dancer who has been dancing since age 7. She collapsed during a costume change near the end of a studio recital. An EMT, nurses, and doctors who were in attendance at the performance administered CPR and used an AED twice while an ambulance was in route. Kaylyn had a PFO and displaced artery corrected with open chest surgery and an ICD was placed in her chest to protect her from any future arrests, pending confirmation of an ARVC diagnosis.

Kaylyn's conditions were only detectable through an MRI or CT scan. Bystanders trained in CPR and AED use saved her life and avoided any neurological damage. She survived to dance again.

Joey Dokken

Joey Dokken passed away unexpectedly August 3rd, 2017 at the age of 17.

Joey was supposed to get up for morning captains practice for soccer. The emergency doctors and responders were unable to revive him. He was active in Lakeville North High School soccer, REV boys soccer team, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Math League team, and Boy Scouts. Joey's heart condition was never detected by a physician during routine physicals.

From the autopsy they determined it was an Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy Variant, a genetic heart condition, that caused his death at an early age.

Joseph Plant

Joseph Plant graduated from North St. Paul High School and passed away unexpectedly on January 12th, 2008 at the age of 24.

Joe was a healthy, active 24 year old who had just recently "lived his dream" of becoming a police officer in his hometown city of St. Paul, Minnesota. He had completed several distance running events, including severall marathons, as well as passed through the physically tasking police academy. Joe had a significant family history of heart complications, including a father who passed away at the age of 33 from a cardiac arrhythmia leading to sudden cardiac arrest. Joe never had a chance to meet his father.

In January 2008. Joseph awoke with severe chest pains and rushed to the hospital. He was quickly diagnosed with a thoracic aortic aneurysm which fatally burst just hours later.

Jack Pogatchnik

Jack Pogatchnik passed away unexpectedly on January 30, 2015 at the age of 18.

Jack Pogatchnik collapsed while running during a workout at the Waconia Community Center. Heroic efforts by a friend, early responders and doctors kept him alive for the next 3 days. Jack was taken off life support when it was determined he could not survive. He was a senior at Woconia High School. He was an AP Scholar and was also taking college classes while attending high school. He payed soccer, ran cross-country and was on the trap shooting team.

Jack had multiple athletic physicals that never detected the abnormality in the right side of his heart that lead to his collapse and death.

Curtis LeMair

Curtis LeMair passed away unexpectedly on October 17th, 2018 at the age of 18.

Curtis, a 2018 graduate of Prior Lake High School, was a talented wrestler and went to Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD on a wrestling scholarship. Curtis had a passion for life and a smile that could light up any room. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and was passionate about his family and friends.

Eight weeks after he moved to NSU to begin his college career, Curtis went to wrestling practice and back to his dorm for homework and dinner. He passed in his sleep from an arrhythmia due to idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy. HIs heart was twice the size it should have been.

As an athlete, Curtis had several routine physicals clear him to participate in sports. A simple exam was not enough to detect his condition.

Colin Tollefson

Colin Tollefson was found to have Wolff-Parkinson-White(WPW) syndrome at the October 2015 Play for Patrick Heart Screening.

Active in hockey and baseball, 14-year-old Colin Tollefson was discovered to have WPW syndrome, an extra electrical pathway between his heart's upper and lower chambers that can cause a rapid heartbeat. Thankfully, it was identified by P4P volunteers and ablated by Colin's cardiologist, successfully eliminating the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Colin has resumed his activities, playing both baseball & hockey. Colin & Patrick were friends, classmates and teammates and Colin was at the game when Patrick collapsed. This wonderful story is about how Colin's life was saved by the organization that exists because of Patrick.

Beth Hidy

Beth Hidy passed away unexpectedly on September 27, 2015. She was almost 17 and had started her junior year in high school.

Beth was proud to be in the Moundsview High School theater as well as the Youth in Government program through the YMCA. AS a result of her passion for molding the lives of children and adolescents, Beth became a Girl Scouts Counselor. Her sweet smile, unconditional love for everyone, as well as her contagious sense of humor, will be remembered by all the lives she touched.

Beth's heart condition was never detected during routine exams. It was later determined that a large patent foramen ovale along with dilated cardiomyopathy caused her early death.

Aidan Miller

Aidan Miller died unexpectedly on July 22, 2019. He was about to start his junior year at Plainview Elgin Millville High School.

Aidan was active in Student Council, FFA, National Honor Society, Bulldog Ambassadors and participated in football, wrestling, and trap shooting. Aidan was an avid Twins and Vikings fan. He loved country music and would sing along to the radio constantly. He volunteered at his church and was a Mass server for many years. If you didn't see him mowing lawn in his straw hat or doing chores on the farm, you would find him checking trail cams, trapping gophers, collecting sap to make maple syrup, or hunting for morel mushrooms. Aidan was an avid hunter and fisherman. Aidan was a friend to all who knew him.

Aidan spent the day helping his dad on the farm and had finished his evening chores, before driving a few miles from home to go fishing with some friends. A few minutes after arriving, he collapsed. His friends administered CPR for 20 minutes before a police officer arrived with an AED. It did not advise a shock. Aidan's cause of death was a cardiac arrythmia of unknown etiology.