SADS Foundation :: Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation

July 26, 1986-January 17, 2002

  A Beautiful Heart Stops Beating

On January 17, 2002 after completing the first semester of sophomore year, our loving fifteen-year-old son, Adam, an honor student at Grayslake Community High School in Illinois, died of a heart condition called LQT Syndrome. Around 4:00 P.M., his mother, Colleen, went out with our son Andy. When she returned an hour later, she found Adam lying on his bedroom floor. She immediately called 911, started CPR, and administered our home defibrillator paddles. Every effort to save his life failed.

Over 500 loving family and friends attended his wake and funeral. It was evident Adam impacted many lives in the 15 years that God gave him to us.  He will always be remembered for his openness and acceptance of everyone.

In August 1997 Adam experienced his first episode. Colleen, returning from a short errand, discovered him unconscious on his bedroom floor. Fortunately, she was able to bring him back. After numerous tests, an ECG revealed he had prolonged QT rhythm. He was placed on Beta Blockers and prevented from participating in sports.

When Adam was diagnosed with LQTS, little did we know, it would change our lives forever. Our entire family was tested and my son, Andy, and I were both diagnosed with Long QT syndrome. Colleen went into action to get awareness about this life threatening condition out. She still says: "Living with LQTS is like living with ticking time bombs."

After Adam's untimely death, Andy had a pacemaker defibrillator implanted on February 11, 2002. Our other nine-year-old son, Alex, who thus far is asymptomatic, will be going for additional testing.

Although we are grieving the loss of our son to this deadly condition, it is our family's mission to make people aware of this manageable but potentially devastating syndrome. We are continuing to work with schools to obtain defibrillators and lobbying public officials to change sports physicals and to establish mandatory ECG testing on newborns.

Submitted by Donald J. Kausak, Adam's father