MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An 8-year-old boy’s routine physical at a Shelby County school may have saved his life.
Eight-year-old Shaheem Young Jr.’s heart murmur was discovered by a “Well Child” staff member during a routine exam at Egypt Elementary School back in October. His mother Shantell took him to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where a cat scan revealed more than just a heart murmur.
“Then we went to the doctor, and they said something was wrong with my breathing,” Shaheem said. “They said maybe I would have to have surgery, and they would have to talk to a whole group of people.”
His mother said there was an issue with one of his heart valves.
“They said the murmur wasn’t an issue because it was small,” Shantell said. “They did find that his left aortic valve was blocked.”
She said this surgery is all because of “Well Child.”
“If ‘Well Child’ hadn’t caught the murmur, then I would haven’t known about his valve being crossed,” she said.
Healthcare professionals said Shaheem’s enthusiasm is giving them something to cheer about.
“He’s recovering and doing well, and I think it feeds all of us,” Yolanda Davis, chief of staff for Well Child said. “It feeds our spirit to know that we are truly making a difference in the community.”
