Bryan was very fit and healthy, consistently training to meet the demanding requirements of cycling at an A grade level.

After feeling unwell, Bryan visited his GP, who told him not to worry. Jess and Bryan thought given their three-month-old baby, he might simply be tired and run down. A few days later after a bike ride, Bryan’s eyes were slightly yellow. However, since he had already been to the GP, he decided to ignore it.

That evening, Jessica kissed Bryan on the forehead as she left the bedroom to feed their daughter, Avie, in the living room. She remembers Bryan smiling as she left the room as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Shortly after, she heard a noise from the bedroom which sounded like a cough. She called out to ask if Bryan was ok, but there was no answer.

When she returned to the bedroom, she found Bryan unresponsive. He had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Despite the strong efforts by both Jessica and paramedics to save his life, it was too late, and Bryan could not be revived.

For Jessica, understanding what happened to Bryan is extremely important. She believes finding answers and advocating on Bryan's behalf is a mark of respect, and a way to show, his life mattered. Jessica advocates heavily for more research into sudden cardiac arrest and her goal is to prevent others from going through the same heartbreaking experience.

Funding more research into sudden cardiac arrest can help more families to understand their risks - this is a real thing that could happen to anyone, at any time.

Your donation to the Heart Foundation could help fund research that helps to identify someone’s genetic risk of sudden cardiac death, improves someone’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest or supports someone through the experience, whether it be the survivor or their family.

There’s so much to be done and so many people affected by sudden cardiac arrest that it will take everyone to come together to create a voice loud enough to drive change