Somehow, Sammy Berko survived. And instead of becoming a statistic, he became an inspiration.
HOUSTON — The doctors say Sammy Berko shouldn’t be here. Just years after losing his 10-year-old brother Frankie to sudden cardiac arrest, Sammy’s own heart stopped. His parents, Craig and Jennifer Berko, couldn’t believe they were experiencing the unimaginable for the second time.
“They looked at us and said, ‘We’re so sorry, but we have done everything we can,'” Jennifer says. “‘But he’s gone and we’re going to clear the room so you can say goodbye.'”
The Houston mom says the experience was devastating. But Sammy wasn’t done fighting. After hours without a pulse, his dad noticed something.
“Suddenly, my husband says, ‘I saw a movement,'” Jennifer says. “And my husband screams ‘we have a heartbeat!”
Somehow, Sammy survived. And instead of becoming a statistic, he became an inspiration.
But his mom was perplexed. How had both of her sons suffered sudden cardiac arrest? Her search to solve the riddle led her down the path of genetic testing. And she found her answer in the form of a rare heart disorder called CPVT – Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, an inherited condition afflicting Jennifer, Sammy, and Frankie. A scary name, but easily treatable with medication. If only Jennifer had known. She had to get the word out.
“It is my purpose in life. It is my mission and is what drives me every day,” she says. “Because nobody should suffer the kind of loss and the trauma that our family has suffered.”
For years Jennifer had worked as a television journalist, and she decided to put her professional storytelling skills to work for the SADS Foundation – and acronym for Sudden Arrythmia Death Syndromes. The organization works to raise awareness about the many different causes of sudden cardiac arrest, which kills more than 350,000 people in the U.S. each year. And more than 7,000 of those are children, roughly one an hour. Jennifer thinks many of those deaths are preventable.
“Part of our outreach is reaching out when we hear these stories to the families and saying, hey, have you done the genetic testing?” she says. “Do you know about these conditions? Is this something your doctors have talked to you about to make sure? Because potentially it runs through their family line.”
She recommends families know their history and the simple warning signs that indicate they could be at risk for a more serious issue. A conversation with their doctor could highlight the need for more testing, and since many conditions can be genetic, that knowledge could help save several lives. She also suggests parents whose kids are considering youth sports pay special attention to their heart health.
As for Sammy, being without oxygen during his cardiac arrest took a toll on his body. Rehab helps with his mental and physical recovery. But the straight-A student just won a full ride scholarship to Vanderbilt and plans to study physics and neuroscience. And Jennifer uses his recovery and Frankie’s memory to motivate her work with the SADS Foundation each day, raising awareness one heartbeat at a time.
“I feel like I’m continuing his [Frankie’s] legacy by reaching out to people,” she says, “By trying to save lives and do something in the community that really makes a difference.”
