October blood drive to honor Zane Anderson ('17)

Darlington School will host a blood drive on Thursday, Oct. 10, in honor of freshman Zane Anderson, who was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) at age 13. The Blood Assurance Blood Vessel will be at the McCallie-Kennedy Library steps that day from 2 to 7 p.m. for anyone who would like to participate.

“It is always so meaningful when an event such as this one is held in honor of one of our own,” said Reba Barnes, director of servant leadership. “We are so thankful to Zane and his family for allowing us to share his story and educate our community about this disease."

HCM is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, affecting 1 in 500 (over 600,000) people in the United States.

"What's scary is that Zane had no signs or symptoms of illness when he was diagnosed," said RuthAnne Anderson, his mother. "However, thankfully he was checked annually by a local cardiologist because of his family history of HCM to ensure his safety on the Rome YMCA soccer fields and participation in school sports. To our surprise, he was diagnosed last year."

Just before school began, Zane was outfitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a sophisticated, permanent device. The surgery took place on Aug. 9 at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Hospital.

"The ICD is capable of sensing potentially lethal arrhythmias; introducing a shock to terminate arrhythmias and restore normal heart rhythm; and documenting the event," RuthAnne explained. "This device represents a major innovation for HCM patients by preventing sudden death. For most, the ICD is life-saving, particularly in those patients -- such as Zane -- who don't exhibit significant symptoms."  

HCM typically results in an excessive thickening of the muscle/heart; the left ventricle is almost always affected and the right ventricle can be affected in some. For more information about HCM, visit www.4HCM.org.

"I urge parents to talk to their healthcare professionals about HCM and schedule the appropriate testing for their children," RuthAnne said. "If Zane's story helps to save a life, then we have done our job." 

Zane is the son of RuthAnne and Todd Anderson of Kingston, Ga. Those wishing to give blood in his honor must be 16 years or older; 16-year-olds must have written consent from a parent or guardian. If you have questions, please contact Reba Barnes.