March 26, 1986 – July 3, 2007

 

When Lindsay was one and a half years old, her creativity and imagination exploded. It was then that she decided napping and sleeping were things she didn't have time for. From hiding in the clothes racks in stores, to full blown temper tantrums in public, stripping off her clothes in the patio section of a hardware store and stretching out on loungers, we realized we were in for a great ride! Through the years, Lindsay and her best friend Gina moved from one adventure to another. There were homemade movies and commercials, dog birthday parties, marathon weekend sleepovers, Ouija board candle sessions in the garage, trips downtown to see favorite music groups, getting lost on the bus and learning how to drive. Keeping her close circle of friends connected through endless phone calls day and night, Lindsay was the plan maker and the social butterfly, the fashion expert and the life of the party.

 

Lindsay always stood up for what she believed in, lived life on her terms, valued others for their uniqueness. She was known for saying, 'Live each day as if it were your last, be true to yourself and do what makes you happy". After taking classes at the local college, Lindsay had decided that she wanted to travel and see the world so she set her sights on becoming a flight attendant.

 

On July 3, 2007, just after noon, our lives changed forever. Lindsay pulled up in front of the house and parked her car. We had a conversation in the kitchen. Then she got a drink of water and went to her bedroom. That was the last we spoke to each other. Ten minutes later, I called her to the phone. Getting no answer, I went to her bedroom with the phone in my hand and found her collapsed at the foot of her bed.

 

The paramedics and doctors worked on Lindsay for over an hour at the hospital. Her best friend Gina, her boyfriend Kyle, her brother Ryan and my close friend Deborah were with me. Her Dad was working out of town. He never got to say goodbye… none of us got to say goodbye. After Lindsay's passing, we went through the motions of doing what one does with the support of family and friends. We waited five months to be told that cause of death could not be determined. Her passing was listed as "Undetermined: with death most likely being the result of a cardiac event that left no evidence behind, most likely an arrhythmia".

 

Lindsay's Dad found The Canadian SADS Foundation website while searching online one morning and this led us to Pam Husband. Up to that point we had been moving through the motions of each day in a fog. Speaking with Pam gave us some direction and helped us to put some control back into our lives. One step at a time, we started making phone calls.

 

Our son Ryan was seen by Dr. Sanatani and his team at BC Children's Hospital. He had a complete series of tests: ECG, Stress Test, Echocardiogram and Holter Monitor. Jim and I also had a complete battery of cardiac tests.

 

Dr. Sanatani referred us to Dr. Sterns in Victoria, BC and we both have now had MRIs done. We are both participating in the CASPER study and so far Jim has tested negative for LQTS and Brugada. This search continues. We still have no answers.

 

Lindsay's samples are currently being studied at the Ottawa Heart Institute with the research team led by Dr. Gollob; Dr. Sanatani and team keep us informed with the progress.

 

The Canadian SADS Foundation has given us a lifeline; we now know that we are not alone in having no answers. Jim attended the most recent SADS Conference in Calgary and was most impressed with the dedication of the physicians who spoke. We wear our Canadian SADS Foundation pins and hand out brochures everywhere we go. We are happy to talk about Lindsay but also about The Canadian SADS Foundation and its mission. It is still one hour, one day, and one week at a time as we try to create our 'new normal'.

  

We love you Lindsay, we miss you more today than yesterday, we miss the sound of your voice and your quick way of cutting to the chase and your funny comments. We miss your sense of humor, we miss you calling us to kill a spider in your bedroom, we miss the sound of the washing machine out of balance because you filled it too full of towels. I miss you asking me for help with your resume, Dad misses you asking him for help with your car and Ryan misses not being able to call you for a ride home from school. Saucy misses cuddling up with you and watching a movie, she still wanders around the house crying and looking for you.

 

Kathi, Jim & Ryan White

Lindsay's Mom, Dad & Brother 

Spring 2009