| Joel Augenblick |
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January 6th, 2002 was a red-letter day on the Augenblick calendar. It was the 80th birthday of my husband David—my husband of 55 years and the devoted father of our four children. It was the perfect occasion to gather the family to celebrate this milestone. Preparations had begun six months before, therefore all the children, grandchildren, sundry relatives and many friends were able to gather and toast his health and vigor.
Time has softened the edges of grief, though Joel lives on in our daily thoughts. What better way to honor his memory than to turn to this happy occasion into an opportunity to ask our guests to forgo the usual gifts and instead, make a contribution to SADS. Its valuable research may some day help other parents avoid a similar tragic loss. We hope that this story of a party held in Florida by Helen and David Augenblick inspires you as much as it did our staff. |
The only sad note was the absence of our son Joel, who almost four
years ago at the age of 46, just did not wake up one morning. No
symptoms, no warning, just sudden arrhythmia death syndrome. The
unexpected loss of a vibrant, healthy athlete—a sculler, a kayaker, a
Macabee gold medallist—was overwhelming. He had recently seen the birth
of his first child. She would not remember him at all. At age four, she
now says “she has no daddy.”
