'Sader Stories: Luke Myers

For rising sophomore defenseman Luke Myers, soccer is far more than just the sport he loves, it is a daily reminder of his perseverance through a life-threatening heart condition. 

For as far back as he can remember, playing soccer at the highest level has always been Myers’ dream. He first hit the field at four years old, learning to play from his two older sisters, Stephanie and Mackenzie. It was their love for the game that first sucked him in. 

As Myers got older and his skills continued to improve, he set his sights on playing Division I college soccer. That was his dream, and he was not going to let anything stop him from making it happen.

Heading into high school, Myers was ecstatic about getting to play at the next level. His high school, John Paul II, required all its student athletes to get an annual physical to ensure they were healthy and fit to play.

The summer before his freshman year, Myers went for his physical exam, alongside his mom, without giving it a second thought. Even with a totally clean bill of health, the doctor offered to do a free electrocardiogram (ECG), just to make sure everything was functioning properly. Myers and his mom decided it couldn’t hurt, even though he was in perfect shape. 

But when the results came back, he and his family were puzzled. His routine heart exam had shown a concerning irregularity. But, he wasn’t convinced. Just a few years earlier, the same doctor had assured him he’d only end up growing to be five foot seven, which he’d surpassed not long after. Standing closer to six feet tall, Myers’ skepticism of his doctor rang in his ears while he listened to what his results could mean. So, his family got a second opinion, another ECG with a different doctor. But that pesky irregularity showed up again, and his doctors recommended he get some additional testing at the Living for Zachary foundation. 

At Living for Zachary, Myers underwent a series of tests and examinations of his heart, including an ultrasound which confirmed the arrhythmia. After some more testing, his parents eventually got the call saying he’d been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect. It turned out that Myers had been born with an extra pathway in his heart which had been channeling excess electrical signals. These signals can lead to a rapid increase in heartbeat and generally destabilize the typical, rhythmic nature of the heart. While he’d never known it, Myers had been at a higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) his whole life. 

After they got the call, his parents sat him down in the kitchen and explained the diagnosis to him. Immediately, he wondered if his Division I dreams were being crushed. “What are the chances of this being really bad?” he asked, quickly followed by “Will I still be able to play?” 

Myers’ mind jumped to Christian Eriksen, the Danish footballer who had recently suffered cardiac arrest midgame during the Euros before being resuscitated on the field. While Eriksen made a full recovery, his near-death experience sent shockwaves through the international soccer community. 

After a long conversation with his parents, Myers understood that the best way forward was to get corrective surgery. The recommended surgery was largely successful in alleviating WPW and was fairly low-risk considering how delicate heart surgery can be. 

Generally, WPW can be an incredibly confusing condition, since many who have it can go years, or even decades, without ever feeling any symptoms. On the surface, Myers was in perfect health; as a multi-sport athlete, he was practicing nearly every single day and excelling on the field. Plus, he felt good. Aside from the test results, he’d never had any concerning heart-related symptoms. So, while he understood why his parents were encouraging the surgery out of an abundance of caution, he couldn’t help but wonder, is all this really necessary?

While he waited for the surgery date to arrive, he kept playing soccer. His doctors emphasized playing was safe, his parents supported his decision, and he wanted nothing more than to keep playing the game he loved. Then, one day, out of nowhere, it hit him. Myers went for a routine slide tackle, but as he came up, his vision blurred. While his world turned to black and white around him, his heart pounded and it became hard to breathe. Then, as quickly as they’d come on, his symptoms subsided. Thankfully, he was alright, though he’d now seen firsthand just how serious this condition was. 

On the day of the procedure, Myers and his family arrived bright and early. After talking to the team of doctors and getting settled in, he prepared for the nine-hour procedure that lay in front of him. As he went under, doctors worked on his heart, carrying out a catheter ablation, a process where they burned or froze segments of his heart using catheters inserted into his bloodstream. The procedure went off without a hitch; Myers was home the next day, back in school on Monday, and back on the playing field only three days later. 

Myers’ playing career that followed was nothing short of outstanding. In his four years at John Paul II, his teams went 59-11-5, made the playoffs all four years, won three district championships, all culminating in a state championship win in 2023. Myers closed the door on high school with an overflowing trophy case: he was named first team all-state twice, first team all-district three times, team captain his junior and senior years and district MVP in his senior season. His excellent career landed him on Holy Cross men’s soccer coach Matt Brown’s radar, and his staff quickly offered Myers a spot on the roster; his Division I dreams had come true.

In the years since his diagnosis, Myers and his family have continued to work with the Living for Zachary foundation to spread awareness about rare heart conditions and advocate for increased heart screenings, especially for people who haven’t shown any prior symptoms. Myers proudly returned to his high school with the foundation to help lead a day of programming centered on making John Paul II a ‘Super Heart School’, a title given to schools who’ve worked with Living for Zachary to improve their ability to handle sudden cardiac arrest. 

Myers’ personal connections to raising SCA awareness made Holy Cross’ participation in the inaugural Smile Cup in April all the more meaningful. Along with Worcester State, Anna Maria and Assumption, the Holy Cross men’s soccer team partnered with the Josh Thibodeau Helping Hearts Foundation, an organization committed to preventing childhood SCA, just like Living for Zachary. The Smile Cup, a tournament of 50 minute games between the four teams, donated all proceeds to the foundation, while increasing awareness, advocating for heart screenings, and delivering a day of fun on the field for the Worcester community. 

After a strong freshman campaign, Myers couldn’t be more grateful for his health, family, and the support he’s gotten from his Holy Cross coaches and teammates. He’s gotten to live out his Division I dream, raise awareness about SCA and give back to the communities that supported him during his most challenging times. Now on the other side of his health scare, his message to everyone is simple: get your heart screened!

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