On May 20, 2005 our youngest son, Travis Roy, collapsed at Thompson Middle School in Murrieta, CA.  He had suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest triggered by undiagnosed Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.  He was taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital in San Diego where he spent four weeks in ICU.  At that time, he was removed from life support and an MRI was done.  The MRI revealed massive brain cell death.  Travis had gone 23 minutes without circulation.  He was blind.  He was completely paralyzed.  He could not speak.  He could not eat and he could not swallow. Travis died a week later on June 25, 2005.  Travis was 14.

Since Travis' death.  Murrieta Valley Unified School District has implemented an AED program in his memory so that no other family in Murrieta will ever have to experience the horror of losing a child to SCA.  They are now a "Heart Safe" district.  There are three AED's in each high school, two in each middle school and one in each elementary school and one in the district office.

On August 30, 2006 the California legislature unanimously approved ACR-159.  This resolution honors those like Travis who have fallen from, as well as those who have survived, an SCA event.  It creates a state-wide Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day each September 12th (Travis' birthday).  We strongly encourage all states to rally around this date, implement their own SCA Awareness Day on that day too and use the opportunity to increase public awareness about the danger of SCA.