W
hen Jadale was nine, he experienced his very first symptom of CPVT – a terrifying episode in which he lost consciousness in the rain and had to drag himself across a parking lot to find help. Jadale is now a D2 athlete in shotput and discus at Roosevelt University in Chicago, and he’s sharing his story to help other young people who have his diagnosis feel less alone.
Just a few months after his first episode, Jadale was chasing a friend while playing tag and lost consciousness again. The doctors thought the issue was with his brain, not his heart; and it wasn’t until he lost consciousness a third time while chasing a friend down the hall in seventh grade that Jadale received his final diagnosis of CPVT. He was put on medication to help control the dangerous heart rhythms that were causing him to lose consciousness.
Due to a lapse in insurance, Jadale was unable to access his medication for three months. That’s when he went into Sudden Cardiac Arrest. “I was in a medically induced coma, and spent two months in the hospital afterwards,” says Jadale. “But since then, since getting consistent on my treatment and having a Left Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation (LCSD) surgery, I’ve had no episodes or symptoms.”
One of the hardest parts of getting diagnosed while in middle school was the sense of isolation Jadale experienced. “My first heart monitor was in fifth grade – a giant battery pack coming out of the pocket of my pants,” he says. “I’ve grown up with the evolution of technology for the heart: just a week ago, I got another heart monitor and it was a tiny piece of tape. My stress tests used to involve a giant face brace; now I just use a little mouthguard.
“I was diagnosed when CPVT was barely known,” he says. “A lot of the treatments I received were experimental. Sometimes, that made me feel special, because I knew I was advancing research. But sometimes it made me feel very alone.”
Another challenge Jadale faced after diagnosis was being barred from playing sports. After transferring to a new high school his junior year to be closer to his childhood best friend, Jadale found a sport that worked for both him and his heart: shotput and discus.
“I talked to the coach first, and told him about my heart condition,” he says. “Then I brought it up to my doctor. She researched it and we talked about it for a very long time. I got cleared by both of them and started competing my junior year.”
Jadale picked it up quickly, and feels that it was “destined to be [his] sport.” He let his teammates and coaches know about his condition and checked in with his doctor to make sure it wasn’t impacting his health.
After becoming captain his senior year, and being one of the top athletes that season, Jadale started having conversations with Roosevelt College about whether he could make their track and field team with CPVT.
“Especially if you’re a Division 2 athlete, it’s so much more intense to compete on the college level than the high school level,” he says. “I had to make sure that they would make accommodations for me. A few months later I signed a contract with them. Their willingness to accommodate me is why I chose that school.”
His coaches, teammates, and medical team have all supported Jadale throughout his journey. “This sport has changed my life – and even saved it,” he says.
To those who are newly diagnosed, Jadale’s advice is to focus on the positive. “Being diagnosed doesn’t mean your life is over,” he says. “It can be scary to have a condition like this, but you don’t have to live on eggshells. Even if you’re benched in one area, realize that there’s so much out there still left to experience – I love not only shotput, but also volunteering, going for long walks, and spending time with my friends. Try not to only focus on the bad things. There’s so much good out there in the world.”
Jadale is currently studying history and African American studies at Roosevelt College. He plans to become a teacher and guidance counselor after graduation.