CMSD NEWS BUREAU

12/19/23

Former Cleveland Brown player TJ Carrie almost didn’t make it to the NFL. A heart screening saved his life, gave him a shot at a pro career, and gave him a life mission to save others. Now he is making sure other student athletes know if they have heart defects through his foundation, which is named after him.   

“We continue to say not knowing is not enough,” said Carrie, who played for the Browns from 2018 to 2020. “It is important to be preventative with these health screenings.”   

Noah, a Cleveland School of Science and Medicine senior, received a screening that included an electrocardiogram and an ultrasound of the heart chambers. The procedure only takes minutes but can have a lasting effect if a heart defect is detected.   

“This is an amazing opportunity that I am grateful to have,” said Noah, who plays football and basketball. “I would rather know sooner rather than later because that may be too late.”   

Noah was just one of more than 30 students who received the screening at the John Hay Campus in early December.   

Carrie had lifesaving heart surgery as a teen after taking similar tests. That is why Carrie’s foundation,  CMSD’s Integrated Health Services and MCORE, a Columbus, Ohio-based foundation that promotes health screenings.  They have teamed up to test more than 30 students for free as a part of the For the Love of the Game, Get Tested initiative.   

“We need our students to understand what is going on with their bodies before they get on any playing field,” said Bernetta Wiggins, the executive director of Integrated Health, the District's and the Say Yes initiative to provide free care for both primary and behavioral health for CMSD students. 

More screens will be provided for CMSD students in 2024.