A suburban community is aiming to raise awareness for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome after a high school athlete died due to the rare heart condition.
Erik Lonnie Lonvick was a senior at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn.
An offensive tackle for the school's football team, Lonvick was deciding on his next steps after receiving several offers to play college football. Earlier this year, he earned Eagle Scout honors with Troop 45.
Erik died unexpectedly on March 3 at the age of 18. His family said he had an unexpected cardiac event due to the condition.
“He was just starting to blossom,” Bill Cesario, Erik's youth football coach told NBC Chicago. “This kid was a great young man. He was going to play football at the next level. You remember all the good stuff this young man represented.”
It’s a heart condition people are born with.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, a pounding in your chest, dizziness and in rare cases, cardiac arrest.
Local
“It can be diagnosed at any age, but it is more common in young people,” Dr. Timothy Larsen said. Larsen is a cardiologist who specializes in arrhythmias at Rush University Medical Center.
“Sudden cardiac death can be the first manifestation of this disorder,” he said. “It occurs not because of a heart attack, but because of an electrical abnormality, where patients have very rapid electrical conduction from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, which induces lethal arrhythmia.”
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He says Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome is identified with an EKG test, but high school athletes are not routinely screened.
In a statement, Erik’s family wrote:
"The support we have received from our church, the high school and football program, the neighbors, and the Glen Ellyn community at large has sustained us. Even in the midst of unbearable tragedy, we have felt loved and supported. Erik was a person who wanted to give. He was a steward of his gifts. Raising awareness and support for cardiac testing in young people -- athletes especially -- could be his final gift," the statement said.
The family has started an online fundraiser to help honor Erik’s life, with there already being talks of creating a football scholarship in his name.
