Unhappy Cheerleaders Make Me Sad

[jtstang]

We make the assumption that the doctor released her to full activities based on the words of the cheerleader’s family. A family with a slight but noticeable bias. One doesn't know for sure exactly what the doctor said or exactly the activities he released her to perform. One gets the impression that a bias was introduced to the media and complete information wasn’t available to the media.

I was going by what the article said, not her family.

Her cardiologist sent SMU officials release forms saying Jamie can engage in full activity with no restrictions. Another form states that she should avoid direct contact sports, but that cheerleading is okay.

[ponyte]

There are no 'forms' for release from activities due to rare conditions. A pacemaker in a college age person is a rare condition. This isn't a usual workers comp case. Also, I would be shocked if SMU released 'forms' to the media with specific health information about a specific person. Most companies (including goobernment) and other organizations have specific policies not to release health specific information about employees, students and others. The article doesn’t specify that the ‘forms’ were released by SMU. Nor is there any confirmation from the cardiologist that he/she released ‘forms’ or other information. This story doesn't appear to provide the complete information in this situation.

One wonders, as a pacemaker is place beneath the skin on the front of the chest wall, what would happen if said cheerleader was dropped from an acrobatic cheerleading maneuver and just happen to land on the chest wall where the pacemaker was causing the pacemaker to malfunction. Keep in mind the vast majority of pacemakers are not placed in very young and active people but in elderly people that are less likely to engage in activities where a pacemaker could be damaged. Pacemakers are not designed to be indestructible but to perform a pacing function in diseased hearts in people less likely to be engaged in strenuous activities. Most pacemakers are programmed to perform a specific function and the limits of the technology may preclude vigorous activity. Pacemakers can’t tell the difference between a rapid heart rate that a young person can generate or a malignant arrhythmia. So a kid doing vigorous activities could cause the pacemaker to ‘think’ a malignant arrhythmia is occurring. The pacemaker may then start its pacing function while a normal cardiac rhythm is occurring. Now the heart has two signals being generated to activate the electrical activities of the heart. How does the heart know which to follow? And could it cause the heart to malfunction because the heart attempts to follow both?

We don’t have complete information such as why there is a pacemaker and what type of pacemaker is being used. We don’t know how the pacemaker is programmed. We do know that a pacemaker in a young person is very rare. We do know that the family has an agenda and we do know that there is not a source representing SMU quoted in the article. Nor does the report mention any attempt to get a comment from SMU (the FBI calls that a clue).

And it is not technically correct to say that nothing is wrong with her when she has a pacemaker in place (as she is quoted in the article). There is something seriously wrong when a permanent pacemaker is employed. Usually life threatening.

[that_evil_lady]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2008/09/10/denmon.cheerleader.pacemaker.wfaa

[jtstang]

There are no 'forms' for release from activities due to rare conditions. A pacemaker in a college age person is a rare condition. This isn't a usual workers comp case. Also, I would be shocked if SMU released 'forms' to the media with specific health information about a specific person. Most companies (including goobernment) and other organizations have specific policies not to release health specific information about employees, students and others. The article doesn’t specify that the ‘forms’ were released by SMU. Nor is there any confirmation from the cardiologist that he/she released ‘forms’ or other information. This story doesn't appear to provide the complete information in this situation.

That CNN video shows some release forms. A patient can authorize release of medical information and apparently this one did.

[ponyte]

Based on the documents, she IS restricted to avoid "direct contact sports" as a contact sport could damage the pacemaker. Cheerleading is not recognized as a sport and is not regulated by the NCAA. However, the NCAA has safety programs and insurance for cheerleading. A maneuver that could lead to 'contact' is restricted. An example would be a fall during a tumbling run or other more vigorous activities (such as a fall during a throwing maneuver or a pyramid). Once again, pacemakers are placed because there is something diseased with the heart preventing normal conduction activity. Pacemakers are put in place to prevent death from arrhythmias. A crushed pacemaker (these things are place just under the skin and are easily damaged) could cause the malfunction of the dang thing leading to death. Activities to limit the possibility of 'contact' that could damage the pacemaker would be considered by some to be a prudent course of action.
Is cheerleading an activity that can lead to serious injury? In 2007 the NCAA's Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program found that 25 percent of its claims for college athletes since 1998 have resulted from cheerleading, second only to football.


Now seeing the documents, I have a better understanding of SMU's position. It may be overkill but I can understand their reasoning.

[jtstang]

Based on the documents, she IS restricted to avoid "direct contact sports" as a contact sport could damage the pacemaker.

Cheerleading is okay.

[ponyte]

Based on the documents, she IS restricted to avoid "direct contact sports" as a contact sport could damage the pacemaker.

Cheerleading is okay.

Contact is the key, not cheerleading. Waving pompoms around and chanting 2-4-6-8... doesn’t involve contact. Falling from a pyramid and having the pacemaker come in direct and forceful “contactâ€

[ponyte]

More important, I can't believe I have wasted this much time and effort on Cheerleading!!! I wish Saturday would hurry up and arrive. I need some football!

[southerncomfort]

This really does suck for Jamie. She's a very nice, smart girl who probably tumbles better than anyone on the team...For her to have transferred out of another college for the cheer scholarship and shoot her down like that is pretty ridiculous. I'm sure her boyfriend on the football team is not too happy either! BTW, Cheer officially became a part of the Athletics Dep't. beginning this school year.

[SC Pony]

This is certainly not an ADA issue. Cheerleading is a club activity and by invitation. There is no requirement of accommodation because cheerleading is not an activity that is open to the public.

If SMU required that students run treadmills and get their heart rates to 150 bpm before entering classes, then we may have an ADA issue.

[MrMustang1965]

UPDATE:

DALLAS -- A Southern Methodist University cheerleader with a pacemaker will not be sitting on the sidelines.

SMU benched Jamie Burns last month after a team doctor decided she was a liability risk. She has already missed out on cheering for games against Texas Christian University and Tulane University.

But on Thursday, an outside doctor gave her full clearance to cheer with her squad.

"People, with pacemakers in particular, they shouldn't be labeled as disabled and that's how I feel I was treated,â€

[PonyPride]

Not played up nearly as big as the initial "SMU is being unfair" story, but kudos to nbc5i.com for doing a follow-up story on the situation.

[MrMustang1965]

Not played up nearly as big as the initial "SMU is being unfair" story, but kudos to nbc5i.com for doing a follow-up story on the situation.

A quick search of WFAA.com - where the story originated that started this thread - shows that they have not updated the site with this new info.

[FWMustangGirl]

Not played up nearly as big as the initial "SMU is being unfair" story, but kudos to nbc5i.com for doing a follow-up story on the situation.

A quick search of WFAA.com - where the story originated that started this thread - shows that they have not updated the site with this new info.

Does this really surprise you?

[MrMustang1965]

Not played up nearly as big as the initial "SMU is being unfair" story, but kudos to nbc5i.com for doing a follow-up story on the situation.

A quick search of WFAA.com - where the story originated that started this thread - shows that they have not updated the site with this new info.

Does this really surprise you?

No.