Coeur d'Alene teen's life saved by routine sports physical

COEUR d'ALENE — A routine sports physical earlier this year revealed that Max Nelson, a high school athlete, had been living with a heart condition since birth. The discovery came as a shock to Max and his family, given his active participation in track and field and football throughout high school.

Max's father, Kevin Nelson, said he sometimes thinks about how differently things could have gone: "It could have been a tragic ending."

Six months ago, as Max was preparing for track season at Coeur d'Alene High School, he would often feel winded or red-faced during practice, despite being in good shape. He typically dismissed these signs and pushed through to compete.

Nurse practitioner Jennifer Fletcher noticed an issue with Max's heart during his physical and referred him to a cardiologist. The family received startling news. Max's heart was only functioning at about 25% capacity.

"I always thought it was a curse, having everything taken away from you in such a brief span of time, but it made him more thankful for everything," Kevin said.

The diagnosis halted Max's spring sports season as the family explored medical options to repair the coarctation, or narrowing, of his aorta. 

After two heart operations, Max's recovery has had its challenges, but his heart function has improved to 85% capacity. 

"I'm not out of breath as easily," Max said.

Now, Max is focusing on his senior year of high school and aspires to pursue a college degree in a physical field while continuing his passion for track.

The family faces significant medical expenses, with bills totaling at least $20,000. "We haven't even gotten all the bills yet," Kevin said. They have set up a GoFundMe page to help offset the costs.

The Nelsons recently thanked Fletcher for her attentiveness during the initial physical. Fletcher, who has a background in cardiovascular health, emphasized the importance of noting small irregularities: "This sports physical saved his life. We always presume that children are invincible, healthy humans but they can be born with congenital heart defects. Sometimes those little clues seem like nothing, but a healthy child shouldn't have high blood pressure."

Kevin hopes Max can use his experience to highlight the importance of thorough physical examinations. "We feel pretty blessed," he said.

    Nurse practitioner Jennifer Fletcher initially flagged Max Nelson's heart for a heart condition six months ago during a sport physical. Since then, the 17-year-old has had two surgeries, but is in recovery and is excited to do track again at Coeur d'Alene High School.