photo essays

Unheard Hearts: The risks of the unknown (includes photo essay)

Matias Savia, Juliana Pavao, Brianna Duardo and Gabrielle Hernandez

July 8, 2025

This photo gallery follows Sebastian Jimenez as he felt slight pain and an elevated heart rate while playing soccer back in February. The pictures were not captured at the moment of the incident, but were taken later on to enhance the visual representation of what he went through at the time. According to the Cleveland Clinic, sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of natural death in the United States. The goal is to raise awareness about heart issues that go unnoticed so people take action on their health.

Soccer 1 — Sebastian Jimenez, an 18-year-old soccer striker, has played soccer since he was a young boy. He practices alone or with friends at Lake Clarke Shores Community Park, but one morning he went through a scary experience that was out of the ordinary *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 2 — Sebastian always uses the fitness equipment available at the park to warm up his muscles and body before playing. His training varies depending on the day of the week to not overexert the muscles. This is a key part to preventing any physical injuries or pain. *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 3 — Before playing, Sebastian felt normal and gave no signs that something felt wrong. Dr. Eric Ramirez, a cardiologist who is a part of the Florida Health Research Foundation, explained that many times young athletes might confuse heart symptoms with post-working out fatigue. This is a clear example of how many heart problems might go unnoticed despite being there *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 4 — Athletes tend to push themselves to the limit while practicing because they feel healthy, but they may actually not be aware of dangerous symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes and it’s often caused by faulty electrical signaling in the heart *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 5 — Sebastian started feeling a rise in his heartbeat along with an uncommon sensation on his chest a few minutes after training. Even though he didn’t consider this as a possibility at the time, these symptoms can be warning signs of underlying heart conditions. According to the Cleveland Clinic, an electrocardiogram (EKG) test allows people to get information to diagnose any heart problems *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 6 — Sebastian tried to get his breathing and heartbeat at a normal level once again, but the symptoms were still bothering him. Even though he was not completely informed about cardiac issues, he knew that persistent signs like these could mean something so he stopped practicing *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 7 — As a precaution, Sebastian went to Urgent Care of The Palm Beaches right after leaving the park to rule out anything serious. Many athletes confuse the symptoms as a consequence of the heat and pushing the body without checking the signs *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 8 — Medical staff monitored his low blood pressure, which is a probable sign of dehydration, but still a possible side effect of other severe issues. Even though on a surface level it appeared to be heat exhaustion, Sebastian didn’t leave the clinic right away *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 9 — The medical staff ordered an EKG exam to monitor his heart activity and detect any abnormalities. It is a non-invasive exam which is completed in roughly 10 minutes. The Cleveland Clinic says a healthcare provider will look at how much electrical activity there is and how strong it is. They’ll also look at how much time passes between the different waves or peaks that represent the electrical impulses *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Soccer 10 — Fortunately, Sebastian did not have any abnormalities and was experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion. However, if he never had gotten the EKG, Sebastian would have never known with certainty if he did not have a heart condition. After speaking with the doctor, he went home and researched several heart issues to educate himself if other symptoms were to show up *(Caplin News/ Matias Savia*)

Matias Savia

Matias Savia is a bilingual student from Uruguay at Florida International University who is interested in marketing and the sports industry.

Savia has worked on several audiovisual projects about storytelling and live recording. He has experience in photography, short movies, and live-event recording. He hopes to become a producer for sports broadcasting or work in marketing for athletic teams at a global scale to mix the fields of communications and creativity.

Savia will graduate from the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media with a bachelor's degree in TV and multimedia production with a minor in sports in Spring 2026.

Juliana Pavao

Juliana Pavao is a senior at Florida International University who is interested in interactive media and digital marketing. Pavao has experience knowing what the public interests are and how to guide them with a strategy that will lead to high sales. She has been involved in creating a brand's identity from the ground up. She has also worked on special projects like website creation and logo creation. Pavao will graduate from Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media with a bachelor's degree in digital communication and media with a minor in social media and E-marketing analytics in Summer 2025.

Brianna Duardo

Brianna Duardo is a junior at Florida International University who aspires to be a journalist in the film industry. Duardo has experience with reporting about student life and hopes to make an impact with her writing about film. She will graduate from the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media with a bachelor’s degree in digital communication and media with a concentration in digital journalism in Summer 2026.

Gabrielle Hernandez

Gabrielle Hernandez is a junior at FIU majoring in Digital Communications and Media with a minor in General Marketing. Her intended career path is a career in Fashion Photography. Some of Gabrielle’s hobbies include photography, weightlifting, soccer, and art.