Some would call it a labor of love but it is more akin to a labor of life. The Living4Burke Foundation visited Natchitoches Parish on Saturday, August 13, 2022 and screened 110 student-athletes. Their ages ranged from eleven years old all the way to twenty-three years old. Natchitoches Central High School was the venue that hosted student-athletes from all Natchitoches Parish Schools including Northwestern State University. The event was made possible by many local volunteers including nursing students from Northwestern State University.
The Living4Burke Foundation has Natchitoches roots. Kristen Cobb Simpson and Karis Cobb lost their nephew, Burke Cobb, in 2012 when it was discovered he had an undetected heart defect that could have been found with a Pediatric EKG. The foundation was formed soon after his untimely death, his family members did not want him to die in vain and began their life’s work by advocating early EKG screening, AED machines and promoting CPR training in schools.
The Cobb family was on hand Saturday to help register students for the screening and welcome guests as they arrived. Since the formation of the foundation, they have screened thousands of children and have been responsible for at least four early detections of the defect.
