Cardiac condition not holding back Long Island cheerleader and shes on new mission to help save lives

Christina Louca has plenty of heart.Sophomore year, life took an unexpected turn for the Seaford cheerleader and runner when she was shockingly diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a cardiac condition that, at its worst, could cause the 16-year-old to have a heart attack. “I never really dealt with something like this; I never had health problems in the past,” Louca told The Post. “I was really shocked, and I was pretty nervous,” she added of the February diagnosis. Such a frightening condition was completely out of sight and out of mind for Louca and her family, as nothing had appeared in a routine physical to indicate its presence. Louca’s case was flagged by an EKG only because the Seaford school district offered free cardiovascular screenings for more than 200 of its student-athletes. “Before, I didn’t really want to go.I thought, ‘I’m already healthy, I never had any problems, why should I go?’ ” Louca said.It was at the urging of her mom, Tricia, that Christina underwent the quick, potentially life-saving test.Louca was able to keep competing in her sports on the condition that a portable defibrillator was on site and, in May, had a catheter ablation that corrected her issue. She’s already back doing jumps at summer cheer practice. “I never have to worry about it again,” said Louca, a rising junior who wants to pursue nursing.“I feel super grateful because now I’m safe.

… I’m just grateful I have this opportunity to live my life.”Louca learned throughout the ordeal that she was one of many young athletes with a heart condition hiding in plain sight.The EKG she had was coordinated by two local moms whose athletic sons died from similar cardiovascular conditions. They turned pain into purpose by launching Heart Screen NY and visiting schools across Long Island to test kids at no cost.“We’ve screened over 8,000 children,” said Karen Acompora, who lost her high school-aged son, Louis, more than two dec...