Fund in Memory of Wayne Sawyer

Wayne Sawyer was a devoted husband and loving father, son, brother and friend who sadly lost his life suddenly to Long QT Syndrome. He is missed dearly by all who knew him.

On September 29, 2009 I unexpectedly lost my husband and my daughter lost her father exactly 1 month after her 3rd birthday. We soon learned that Wayne had an undiagnosed genetic heart condition called Long QT Syndrome. Since losing him, our family has learned that other family members have Long QT as well, including our daughter, Lily. And, sadly, we learned that Wayne's death was preventable.

Wayne was a joyous lover of Life. He had an unbridled optimism and a gregarious nature that charmed those of us lucky enough to know him. He was a passionate music lover, founding crew member of Widespread Panic, guitar tech for 11 years, prolific artist, writer and cook. He loved the simple things in life.... afternoons with friends around a grill, strumming his acoustic guitar, Sunday morning jazz at home, and more than anything, making his daughter and wife laugh as often as possible. He was completely devoted to them, and he was the most dedicated father a man could ever hope to be.

We are so fortunate to be connected with the SADS Foundation, as they have been a compassionate source of support and expertise in the field of genetic heart arrhythmia syndromes. Each year we host a celebration of life in Wayne's memory in an effort to raise critical funding and awareness for Long QT Syndrome and other SADS conditions. These events have been a tremendous source of personal healing, as well as raising significant funding & awareness.

Whether you are ever able to attend in person or just want to support this very important cause with a donation, we are immensely grateful to have your help. Several thousand young people die unnecessarily each year from SADS in the United States, and education is the answer.

Working together we WILL SAVE LIVES.