No one knows how they might respond to a tragedy, until they are tested. For Pam Husband, the sudden, unexplained death of her sixteen-year-old son Greg was the impetuous for advocacy and action, and the creation of the Canadian SADS Foundation. A creative, curious teen, Greg suffered from fainting spells from a young age, often after being startled or excited. At the age of six, he passed out in the backseat of Pam’s car when she suddenly hit the brakes to avoid an accident. Searching for a reason, Greg was examined by neurologists, but no cause was found beyond the speculation that it was linked to stress. And yet Greg passed away in his bed on Sept. 11, 1990. His autopsy did not reveal any structural problems to his organs. What was the silent killer that took Greg’s life? Encouraged by a friend to share her story, Pam went to the Toronto Star in the fall of 1994. Her newspaper story generated over 1200 phone calls to the US SADS organization. Not stopping there, Pam reached out to other Canadian families, and together, they created a support group with a mission of building awareness of the warning signs of sudden arrythmia death syndromes, or SADS. They launched the non-profit Canadian SADS Foundation in 1995, and Pam Husband has been its leader ever since. After years of counselling families who have suffered similar losses, Pam concluded that her story was sadly not unique. A seemingly heathy, normal athlete collapses and dies on the playing field, or a young teen in their bed. A single car accident. A random drowning. Unexplained and inextricable, but upon further investigation the cause is sudden cardiac arrest from a previously unknown inherited rhythm disease. For Greg, it was undiagnosed Long QT Syndrome, one of a cluster of diseases that cause electrical disturbances to the heart. For many, the warning signs were there in plain sight; frequent bouts of fainting, chest pains or shortness of breath, or having a family history of the unexplained death of a loved one, often quite young. Thirty years is a long time. A lifetime. Consider the workload, the personal sacrifice and the commitment. When asked what she considers her greatest accomplishment with the Foundation, Pam is quick to say it’s the organization’s longevity, but surely Pam is too modest. Two significant contributions must be considered; the support and comfort Pam has given to families who also lost a loved one, and the lives saved from the growing awareness of the warning signs of sudden arrythmia death syndromes. As one mother wrote about Pam; “In your grief you have taken the time to set up the foundation, run the foundation, attend the events on our behalf and you have educated us on the many cardiac anomalies that many of us never knew were a danger to our loved ones.” Pam credits the Foundations success to her ability to hyper focus, and to pull the good things out of bad. Most significantly, Pam found a deep well of empathy for others that had not been there before Greg’s death. “I’ve found the journey hugely gratifying,” says Pam. “It was life altering to meet these people under these excruciating circumstances. It is a club that no one wants to be a member of, but somehow, we created a bond that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.” Pam believes that studying what makes people resilient has made her a better person. It taught her to be a fierce fighter. She has enjoyed following research, interacting with clinicians and observing how attitudes about rare, inherited cardiac diseases have evolved over the years. “We have put these conditions on the map in the cardiology community, and made patients aware of these conditions,” says Pam. The next steps for the Canadian SADS Foundation are continued advocacy for patients for better and more accessible inherited arrythmia clinics, and patient participation in cutting-edge research such as gene editing that could one day lead to a cure. But first and foremost, it will be in ensuring the sustainable future of SADS Canada in the coming years. For Pam Husband, it means stepping down but not entirely away from the foundation that she has devoted the last thirty years to building. Pam Husband has chosen to retire from the Canadian SADS Foundation in 2025, and the Board will search for a new Executive Director in the coming months. Ever the committed volunteer, Pam will train her successor to ensure a smooth transition. To honor Pam’s outstanding legacy, please give generously to the No Ball At All Campaign. Funds raised from this campaign will go towards the important ongoing work of the Canadian SADS Foundation. Coming in 2025, a celebratory event will honor Pam for the outstanding work she has done and the impact she has had on countless lives.

Hello <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;display:inline-block;margin:0px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">First name, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our cause. This donation greatly helps our mission. If you would like to contribute further to our cause, contact us to become a volunteer, or spread the word about our mission!

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 Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for registering to fundraise for our cause. Your efforts will make a significant impact, and we are excited to have you as part of our fundraising team. 👏
 
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 Adrian Benedetti adrian.benedetti@sads.ca 14166052091

No one knows how they might respond to a tragedy, until they are tested. For Pam Husband, the sudden, unexplained death of her sixteen-year-old son Greg was the impetuous for advocacy and action, and the creation of the Canadian SADS Foundation. A creative, curious teen, Greg suffered from fainting spells from a young age, often after being startled or excited. At the age of six, he passed out in the backseat of Pam’s car when she suddenly hit the brakes to avoid an accident. Searching for a reason, Greg was examined by neurologists, but no cause was found beyond the speculation that it was linked to stress. And yet Greg passed away in his bed on Sept. 11, 1990. His autopsy did not reveal any structural problems to his organs. What was the silent killer that took Greg’s life? Encouraged by a friend to share her story, Pam went to the Toronto Star in the fall of 1994. Her newspaper story generated over 1200 phone calls to the US SADS organization. Not stopping there, Pam reached out to other Canadian families, and together, they created a support group with a mission of building awareness of the warning signs of sudden arrythmia death syndromes, or SADS. They launched the non-profit Canadian SADS Foundation in 1995, and Pam Husband has been its leader ever since. After years of counselling families who have suffered similar losses, Pam concluded that her story was sadly not unique. A seemingly heathy, normal athlete collapses and dies on the playing field, or a young teen in their bed. A single car accident. A random drowning. Unexplained and inextricable, but upon further investigation the cause is sudden cardiac arrest from a previously unknown inherited rhythm disease. For Greg, it was undiagnosed Long QT Syndrome, one of a cluster of diseases that cause electrical disturbances to the heart. For many, the warning signs were there in plain sight; frequent bouts of fainting, chest pains or shortness of breath, or having a family history of the unexplained death of a loved one, often quite young. Thirty years is a long time. A lifetime. Consider the workload, the personal sacrifice and the commitment. When asked what she considers her greatest accomplishment with the Foundation, Pam is quick to say it’s the organization’s longevity, but surely Pam is too modest. Two significant contributions must be considered; the support and comfort Pam has given to families who also lost a loved one, and the lives saved from the growing awareness of the warning signs of sudden arrythmia death syndromes. As one mother wrote about Pam; “In your grief you have taken the time to set up the foundation, run the foundation, attend the events on our behalf and you have educated us on the many cardiac anomalies that many of us never knew were a danger to our loved ones.” Pam credits the Foundations success to her ability to hyper focus, and to pull the good things out of bad. Most significantly, Pam found a deep well of empathy for others that had not been there before Greg’s death. “I’ve found the journey hugely gratifying,” says Pam. “It was life altering to meet these people under these excruciating circumstances. It is a club that no one wants to be a member of, but somehow, we created a bond that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.” Pam believes that studying what makes people resilient has made her a better person. It taught her to be a fierce fighter. She has enjoyed following research, interacting with clinicians and observing how attitudes about rare, inherited cardiac diseases have evolved over the years. “We have put these conditions on the map in the cardiology community, and made patients aware of these conditions,” says Pam. The next steps for the Canadian SADS Foundation are continued advocacy for patients for better and more accessible inherited arrythmia clinics, and patient participation in cutting-edge research such as gene editing that could one day lead to a cure. But first and foremost, it will be in ensuring the sustainable future of SADS Canada in the coming years. For Pam Husband, it means stepping down but not entirely away from the foundation that she has devoted the last thirty years to building. Pam Husband has chosen to retire from the Canadian SADS Foundation in 2025, and the Board will search for a new Executive Director in the coming months. Ever the committed volunteer, Pam will train her successor to ensure a smooth transition. To honor Pam’s outstanding legacy, please give generously to the No Ball At All Campaign. Funds raised from this campaign will go towards the important ongoing work of the Canadian SADS Foundation. Coming in 2025, a celebratory event will honor Pam for the outstanding work she has done and the impact she has had on countless lives.

The Canadian Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation

Pam's Legacy Fund

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