November 7, 2004 was like any other fall day in New England. There was the excitement of the holidays upon us, a recent long overdue World Series win for the Boston Red Sox, the invitation to make hearty meals that consisted of far too many calories as the weather grew colder and I happened to be in a relationship that had me on Cloud 9. I was one lucky girl.
I was leaving the grocery store to go home and make a special dinner for Boston's #1 Red Sox fan who happened to also be my boyfriend. I was happy for the win but secretly happy the season was over so we could not watch baseball for while!
I gave him a quick call as I was 30 minutes away to see if there was anything else he needed and proceeded home listening to Christmas music on full blast four weeks too early, but I was excited, and my heart was full.
As I pulled in the parking lot I drove slowly as there were ambulances and firetrucks outside, I silently thought to myself "hope everyone is OK" and went about getting the groceries out of the trunk. As I made my way to his apartment, I quickly knew everything was not OK... they were blocking the entrance to HIS apartment, the kitchen we were about to make a lovely meal in, the TV that still had the World Series recap playing too loud on ESPN as it often was and all I could see is that the man I was falling in love with was asleep during the winning highlights reel which I knew would never happen.
Between the grocery store and getting to his place, he was gone. 28 years old, a life ahead of us and he was gone. There was nothing they could do and all I could do was hold onto those grocery bags so tightly that my fingers turned blue. I just knew that if I let go of those bags it was real and we were not making dinner and everything I planned in my head for our future was also gone.
The next few days were a blur, and we learned that he suffered a premature heart attack due to cardiomyopathy. He did not know nor I knew that he was a ticking time bomb. He was an athlete, a young guy with a physical job, healthy and full of life. This should not have happened. Tragic as so many put it.
I am writing this to remind people that just because you are not "old" does not mean you are protected from health conditions that are so often passed down through generations. Please speak to your mother, father, siblings, etc. to learn about your family medical history. Keep track of it and have yourself, your spouse, and your kids tested to ensure your lifestyle is protecting you from something that does not need to be inevitable.
This was a very dark time in my life but like everything there are rainbows after the storm and life goes on. We carry these special people with us and we see them, hear them, and feel them as we continue on in life. I know I do... every crack of a baseball against a wooden bat...he is there. Every loud television yelling the updates of a baseball game, he is there and every time I sit back and look at my family now, I know he led me to this to make sure that I was reminded that love continues long after someone is gone. For me, I have an Angel in the outfield.
Stay well and have a healthy, happy week.
Cardiomyopathies can affect people of all ages, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, about 1 in 500 adults have the condition (via the Cleveland Clinic). It can stem from various factors, however, genetics make some people more susceptible to certain types of cardiomyopathies, according to Healthline. Furthermore, the symptoms and warning signs of the heart condition can vary and worsen over time without treatment, per Mayo Clinic. Nevertheless, here are the types of cardiomyopathies that can be inherited.
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