• Ralph and Deb Thibodeau’s son, Joshua, died at age 12 from sudden cardiac arrest while attending soccer camp.
• They formed the Josh Thibodeau Healthy Hearts Foundation to spread awareness of the importance of getting heart screenings for youth and adolescents.
• The foundation also donates automated external defibrillators to various organizations — 122 so far — that deliver an electric shock to get a heart’s rhythm back in sync.

Ralph and Deb Thibodeau’s work has quite possibly saved lives.

The Holden couple has organized more than 100 screenings where medical professionals identify undiagnosed heart conditions that could turn fatal. The impetus for this work started after the couple’s son, Joshua, died at age 12 from sudden cardiac arrest while attending soccer camp.

That tragedy happened 14 years ago, and the Thibodeau’s decided they didn’t want other families to experience the emotional pain of losing a child if an early diagnosis can prevent it.

So, they formed the Josh Thibodeau Healthy Hearts Foundation to spread awareness of the importance of getting heart screenings for youth and adolescents. It’s this work in the community to help others that is why the Thibodeau’s are members of this year’s class of Hometown Heroes.

More than 350,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the U.S. yearly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 60% to 80% of them die before reaching the hospital.

There was no indication Josh had a heart problem. His routine checkups didn’t flag one. His sudden death was due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle than makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood.

“There’s not a day I don’t wake up thinking about Josh,” said his father.

Screenings proved worthwhile

The Thibodeau’s had their four children screened after Josh’s death, and doctors at UMass Memorial Health diagnosed their son, Adam, with Long QT Syndrome that causes irregular heartbeats.

Ralph Thibodeau knew from the foundation’s first official screening at Wachusett Regional High School that the work was worth it. That’s when Josh’s childhood friend, P.J. Barry, was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome that causes the heart to beat faster than it should. Today, Barry is a Worcester Red Sox executive.

The foundation also donates automated external defibrillators to various organizations — 122 so far — that deliver an electric shock to get a heart’s rhythm back in sync.

The Thibodeau’s goal is to donate many more, and the funds that pay for this work primarily arrives from the foundation’s annual soccer tournament held the Sunday before Columbus Day. The Wachusett Regional High School field is divided into 16 soccer pitches for four-on-four competition. This year’s tournament had 94 teams, and the Thibodeau’s are shooting for the maximum capacity of 150.

Grants and dontations also account for the foundation’s revenues.

Meanwhile, the Thibodeau’s want it known that they couldn’t do this work without the slew of volunteers who sacrifice their time, skills and energy.

Deb Thibodeau mentioned the foundation held a heart screening earlier this year at Polar Park, and Josh, who loved sports, would have been thrilled to see his picture displayed on the park’s large videoboard. The foundation returns to Polar Park for another screening on Feb . 7.

“We’re super excited about that,” she said.