Stories: Forever in our Hearts

I am Brugada Girl. My father fell victim to Brugada Syndrome at the age of 55. One day in May he sat down in a chair in his back yard after a long day at work, and never woke up again. Cardiac arrest was listed as cause of death. Post mortem, and after my own diagnosis of Brugada Syndrome, it is believed Brugada Syndrome claimed his life without warning. He was full of life, healthy, a father of 2, a holy man. With pep in his step and endless telling of jokes, he was a joy to be around. It was d... see more

Ronnie Palcer - 7/18/92 - 6/1/2010 passed away at 17 Three days after graduating high school from undiagnosed SADS condition. He loved his family, friends, playing football (#42) and working out. He will always be remembered by his beautiful smile and big heart. We miss and love him so much!!... see more

A message from Ryan’s Mom and Dad: Our beautiful son Ryan Davis Lopynski was born on July 18, 1990. He was our first out of 4 children and both families’ first grandson. He was a blessing to us all for 18 years. Ryan was a very family oriented child who had a special relationship with his brother and sisters. He was a role model and leader to each one. As an example, Ryan was always the one who organized the games, whether it was in the car on a road trip or simply a game to see who would do th... see more

Ryan Duane Howard was born June 14, 1994, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina near Norfolk where his father was stationed in the Navy. When Ryan was two years old the family moved back home to Colorado. He attended grades K-12 in Highlands Ranch and graduated from Rock Canyon High School, Class of 2013. He participated in sports during his youth but football was his favorite. Ryan spent a lot of his young life visiting his Grandma and Grandpa, as well as many cousins, in Longmont. Ryan loved anyth... see more

On September 7th, 1989, Ryan Horton was born to Cris and Debbie Horton. At that time they could have never imagined the memories that could be built and what a life of only 25 years could accomplish. Only 25 years to become a man of wisdom befitting a man of many more years. He was always so amazing to us, but we were his parents. Surely his friends and others in his life saw him as just another man trying to make his way in life. Sure, God had granted him musical talents, intelligence, i... see more

Ironically on Ryan's favorite day of the year, St Patrick's Day is the day he left this world; only 3 days following his 30th birthday. Ryan wasn't irish although his hair was the color of a "new penny" as his grandma used to say. He was irish by osmosis. After high school Ryan became a firefighter and EMT for California Division of Forestry. When the economy took a tumble, so did his job and he started working as a machinist in his home town of Paso Robles, CA. He was so loved by everyone.... see more

Ryan Matthew Sherwood was born on September 9, 1985 along with his twin brother. Although we did not know it at the time his name was chosen, “Ryan,” in fact means “little king.” This was a perfect name for Ryan because from infancy he determinedly did things his own way on his own time schedule. ... see more

In the all-too-short twenty-six years of Ryan’s life, he developed an impressive work ethic and consequently achieved much recognition. He was a gifted athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball throughout high school. He excelled most in basketball, which he continued on the varsity level during his four years at Dickinson College. He was a disciplined player and a selfless team member. But his favorite social sport was, in fact, golf, which he played regularly with family. His sum... see more

On September 10, 2008, my wife Shawn Marie DeVries passed away from Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricle Dysplasia (ARVD). She was only 35. Technically ARVD is not considered a SADS disease but very closely mirrors those in the symptoms. ... see more

Our beautiful daughter, Shevaun Rose Stapp, left this world on Friday, October 17th. Shevaun's heart stopped beating just a month before her 22nd birthday.... see more

Hello all, My wife (of 36 years) passed away on 13 June 2008 to an arrhythmia caused by congestive heart failure (according to the Kentucky death certificate). ... see more

Stephanie Mejias, an elementary education and psychology major at The College of New Jersey, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in her sleep on July 27, 2009. With no signs of fatigue or symptoms of any illness, Stephanie was unexpectedly taken away from the ones she loved. She was 19 and would have been a junior this year. Her death quickly ended an opportunity for a dedicated student to help the ones she really cared for: her family, friends and the students she hoped to teach one day. Sh... see more