Ryan, age 30, died on March 17, 2011; celebrated his birthday three days prior. He had no previous signs or symptoms of a heart condition. Ryan’s autopsy did not reveal the underlying cause of his cardiac arrest.

During a cheerleading practice break on October 2, 2003, 17 year-old Jessica went to get a drink of water. She suddenly collapsed at the fountain and was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital. Cause of death was severe Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP). Jessica had numerous physicals, but MVP was never diagnosed. Her sister was diagnosed with MVP prior to Jessica’s death, but the family was not told to have other members tested.

Burke, age 14, was preparing to enter his freshman year and was already a member of the high school football team. On July 19, 2012, he went to football practice, then stayed for a pick-up game of basketball where he collapsed and suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. The school had 4 AEDs, but no one was trained or knew how to access them on this particular day. The cause of death was Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Mitchell, age 14, collapsed during football practice at school on August 7, 2013. He received CPR immediately, but an AED was not available at the school. Mitchell had mitral valve prolapse, was regularly seen by doctors and was said to be doing fine before his death. The cause of death was idiopathic cardiomypathy.

Ben, age 22, had just moved into a new apartment and was hanging up pictures when his heart stopped. Ben had no previous diagnosed heart condition.

Jonathan, age 20, had always been an athlete, specializing in soccer, lacrosse and golf. He had just returned home for the summer after completing his freshman year at Virginia Commonwealth University. Just five days after his 20th birthday, Jonathan suffered SCA in his sleep and did not wake up the next morning. The cause of his death was a sudden arrhythmia.

Andra, age 12, complained of feeling dizzy during and after trying out for her school’s soccer team.  Shortly after she went into cardiac arrest.  Paramedics were able to revive her at the scene, but she died two days later at the hospital.  The cause of Andra’s death was undetected Long QT Syndrome.

Ken, age 17, had a cardiac arrest and died during football practice on June 7, 2000. He had been diagnosed with a heart murmur at age 13. At his last physical, the family was told that Ken had outgrown his heart murmur, and was never advised to have follow-up testing performed. Cause of the fatal cardiac arrest was found to be an enlarged heart.

Joe, age 14, was running for his high school in the Maine XC Festival of Champions Cross Country race on October 4, 2003, but did not come in at the finish line. He had been a cross country runner for two years and committed to his sport. No search was started when he had been reported missing. Joe was found next to a trail two hours later. The probable cause of death was dysrhythmia with contributing factors of hypothermia.

Teddy was born with a congenital heart defect, bicuspid aortic valve. At the age of 16, he had a successful surgery to replace his aortic valve and as a result, he was cleared to play basketball. On May 4, 2022 at the age of 22, Teddy collapsed in sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball with his brother and friends. CPR was administered but there was no immediate access to an AED. It has become the family’s mission to push for widespread access and availability of AEDs.

Quinn died on June 10, 2009, 18 days before his 14th birthday, while running on the track during PE. He had just told his friends “Let’s feel the burn,” and the next thing they knew, Quinn collapsed. His PE teachers, paramedics and emergency room doctors could not revive him. The Medical Examiner’s Office was quick to declare that his death was caused by Idiopathic Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart with no known cause). When questioned by a pediatric cardiologist, it was determined that the cause was undiagnosed Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Quinn never showed any symptoms, and appeared to be in perfect health.

Alex died from SCA at age 21 while visiting his grandparents. They assumed he fainted and did not administer CPR, and 911 was not called for seven minutes. By the time the EMTs arrived, it was too late. Alex had no symptoms his family was aware of, but postmortem genetic testing revealed the FLNC gene that caused his Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Both his mom and youngest sister are also carriers. Alex was five days away from his 22nd birthday and two months shy of marrying his high school sweetheart. He was a talented musician, a lover of nature and animals, and enjoyed being a big brother to his two younger sisters.

Molly, age 7, was diagnosed with severe Pulmonary Hypertension after collapsing on her first day of kindergarten in September 2010. A few days after she collapsed, Molly went into cardiac arrest and was placed on ECMO (heart-lung bypass). She underwent rehab therapy for the next 17 months, but ultimately lost her battle on May 17, 2012. The cause of death was Pulmonary Hypertension and Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiesctasia (HHT), a rare genetic disorder.

Evan, who had just turned 16, collapsed suddenly near the end of a varsity soccer tryout at his school. A parent, who was a physician, immediately administered CPR. A defibrillator was available and used but to no avail.

Evan died on October 5, 2011. The likely cause of death was complications arising from Coronary Artery Anomalies. Evan had always enjoyed excellent health and showed no previous indications of a heart condition.

After playing in a summer basketball game, Cameron, age 13, collapsed while shaking hands with the other team. Her father ran to see what was wrong and realized it was something major by the way she looked. A friend took over CPR, which began immediately. The recreation center did not have a defibrillator and she could not be revived when paramedics arrived 10 minutes later. Apparently a virus had caused her heart to enlarge and not function properly. The official cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia.

Kyle, age 19, had been diagnosed with Primary Cardiomyopathy three years prior to his sudden cardiac arrest. On the day of his SCA, he apparently had an irregular heart rhythm that progressed into an arrest, but no one was present to witness his distress or save his life.

Michael, age 16, died on November 15, 2010, after receiving a blow to the chest (commotio cordis) during a football game. CPR was started immediately but no AED was available until the ambulance arrived 15 minutes later. He was in excellent physical condition and played two other varsity sports, namely, hockey and track & field, since he was a freshman.

David, age 25, had been in the Marines for two years when he went on a five-mile training run with his battalion in Hawaii. He collapsed just a quarter mile from the finish. Efforts to save David were unsuccessful. His family didn’t know he had anything wrong with his heart.

Sean collapsed during football practice on his 13th birthday, August 25, 2008. He appeared healthy and had no prior symptom of a heart condition.

John Wesley, age 9, collapsed in cardiac arrest while playing football with his father in his grandparents’ front yard. His father administered CPR, and EMTs shocked his heart on the scene, then again several times at the hospital. John Wesley was active in many sports, including football, baseball and soccer. He never had any signs or symptoms of heart problems

Sarah was three weeks short of her 13th birthday. On July 14, 2004, Sarah collapsed walking up the stairs at a local waterpark and was not resuscitated. The cause of her untimely death was undetected Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Sarah was in excellent health and never had any symptoms or warning. Other family members have since been tested and found to have heart defects.

Andrew was an incredibly loving person with a passion for life. He was an exceptional athlete and loved sports. He passed away in his sleep on May 19, 2022 at the age of 22. A Cum Laude graduate of Illinois State, with a double major in Economics and Finance, he was set to start his new path with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Downers Grove when he passed away suddenly due to a sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep.  The underlying cause of his cardiac arrest remains unknown.

Damani was a healthy athlete since the age of 5.  He loved helping others and making music.  On March 12, 2019, Damani went to track practice and came home like any normal day. Two hours later his heart suddenly stopped. CPR was administered, but not right away. Damani had no history of heart issues. The cause of death was an enlarged heart. He was only 17-years-old.

Andrew, age 16, was sitting at his desk in school when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Unfortunately an AED was not used until the paramedics arrived. Andrew appeared to be in good health and never exhibited any outward symptoms of having a heart condition. The cause of Andrew’s death was Sinoatrial Nodal Artery Dysplasia.

Brandon, age 20, was a baseball player for LSU Alexandria, when he collapsed on the field. Although CPR was administered and an AED was used, Brandon did not survive. Test results indicated that Brandon had Arrythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C).

Maddie was born with a Atrial Septal Defect, a hole in her heart that caused her to struggle until she had open heart surgery at 10 months. The repair was a success and at age 3 she was cleared by her pediatric cardiologist. While participating in her high school Beta Club T-ball tournament, Maddie had a sudden cardiac arrest and was lost at age 14. The school’s gym AED was just 30 seconds away from where she laid, but absent of a cardiac emergency response plan, staff never retrieved it. It was 22 minutes from calling 911 until she was defibrillated. Her autopsy reported a healthy teen with no SCA indicators.

Mac, age 14, was a seemingly healthy and vibrant high school freshman who collapsed in his home on Thanksgiving Day 2013. Mac went to take a shower and get ready for company. His mother later found him on the floor of the shower. Despite attempts at CPR by his mother, as well as EMTs and at the hospital, Mac’s life could not be saved. It was determined that a common virus had found its way into Mac’s heart which ultimately led to sudden cardiac arrest.

Eric, age 12, died in his sleep in January 2012. Prior to his death Eric had suffered some seizures, which a neurologist diagnosed as benign rolandic seizures and advised the family this was not a cause for concern. An EKG was never recommended as part of Eric’s evaluation. The cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrhythmia associated with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Gwyneth was born June 26, 1999, to Joel and Jennifer Griffin. Although born with a minor heart defect, she had a smile to share with the world. “Our daughter” are the most important words we would use to describe Gwyneth. She loved her family dearly. Gwyneth always greeted you at the end of the day with a smile and a hug and was the first to meet extended family members when they came to visit. Gwyneth passed away shortly after her 13th birthday in 2012.

Michael, age 17, was a high school senior and football player. He collapsed suddenly at school on December 2, 2008, from undiagnosed Mitral Valve Prolapse

Samuel lost his life at 21 years old.  He was lying in bed on a Sunday morning and collapsed over the side.  His girlfriend called 911.  By the time they got to him it had been well over 10 minutes.  He died the next day at the hospital.  Samuel was an amazing human.  He loved his family; he loved learning new things and his love for animals was beyond anyone’s imagination.  He had just begun his dream job at Lexington Fayette Animal Control and died after his first week there.  His funeral filled the church front to back.  Just another confirmation of the love he showed people.  He was my first born and only son.  My little best friend.

Aidan, age 7, ran several drills during soccer practice and after scoring a goal collapsed. He appeared to be having a seizure.  His coach recognized he was not breathing and began CPR immediately.  EMTs used an AED; after several shocks and repeated doses of medication they were able to get a heartbeat.  He was taken to the hospital where a CT of his brain indicated brain damage.  He was then flown to a children’s hospital, where he remained on a ventilator for 11 days.  He never regained consciousness.  On the 11th day Aidan’s kidneys and liver were donated.  Prior to his death, he did not display any symptoms that his family would have recognized.

Genetic testing revealed he had a preexisting heart condition, Long QT Syndrome genes 3 and 14.  After Aidan’s death, his baby brother, mother, grandmother and aunt also tested positive for Long QT Syndrome.

Jeremy, age 12, collapsed while at school. The cause of death was Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).