In June 2003 Josh was admitted to UCLA again. It was determined that Josh had a rare type of rejection -humoral rejection. Josh responded so well to medication and he was released 1 week later and soon thereafter we received great news that his rejection tests were negative. We had another couple of months of good health.
About 4 weeks ago, Josh started acting lethargic. His breathing became more labored. We admitted him to UCLA on about 4 days ago. Doctors were convinced that the rejection was back, but now his kidneys were also stressed.
Joshua continued to deteriorate but we remained hopeful that the medicines just needed to work their magic again. On Oct. 11th, surprisingly, Joshua went into cardiac arrest. Doctors tried to revive him with CPR for about 15 minutes or longer but to no avail.
Our parents and Uncle Jeff came up with Jake and Taylor and we were all able to say good bye. Brian our pastor comforted us with scripture and prayers. Josh will no longer have to suffer. He will no longer have to take his "yucky" medicines and be in pain. He will not have to spend his life in and out of hospitals. For that, we are grateful; however, we of course hurt very much at the thought of his sweet, smiling face not being around our home. Our hearts ache as you can imagine, and your continued prayers to help our family through this very difficult time mean so much to us.
Thank you for your prayers. We will have a Memorial Service, and we invite you all. The date and time will be posted on the website. We want to thank all of our friends and family for the love, prayers, and support that you have provided. Many have asked how they can help. Prayer is number one right now. Please also list your positive comments in our guest book. It helps us to know that Josh served a purpose to have touched so many lives in such a short time. Some work a life time to achieve what Josh did in only 2 and a half short years. God Bless, Ed and Anmarie MacNevin It is every parent's worst nightmare to hear that their 16 month year old child has a terminal disease. On June 2, 2002 we took our son to the hospital and were told he may have pneumonia. Within one week we were told our son had a rare heart disease with no surgical or medical cure. Joshua had been diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy. Joshua's team of doctors at UCLA had concluded that he needed a heart transparent old. We went to the beach, Disneyland, and celebrated holidays etc... We had a great year getting to know the "real" Joshua.
lant to survive. In August 2002 Josh received a new heart and a new chance for life. Joshua had an amazing year with this new heart. We did all of the things normal families to with their 2
Helena, Jose, Dale
Derrick “Faz” Faison
Derrick Faison was a special kind of a teacher. He taught classes to students who have been incarcerated or were "at risk" for failing or dropping out of school. He did sofor Orange County's Board of Education. He was a teacher who had an uncanny ability to show kids they had mattered and, that they could succeed. The kids loved him and they worked hard for him. They came to believe in themselves and in each other. They believed in him.
Once a former wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers, Derrick Faison was a professional and a natural athlete. Even after his retirement he remained very active in athletics, working out on a regular basis, coaching his sons teams, taking up golf and also playing on two local adult basketball leagues. It would be during one of those basketball games that Derrick would take his last breath.... As his two young sons Jordan and Justin looked on from the bleachers... Derrick collapsed and suffered sudden cardiac death.... He was 36 years old. Derrick's wife Regina was on a rare business trip back east when she received the shocking news that her life partner was dead and her children were at the hospital and had not been told. She was 3000 miles away, alone in a hotel room. Regina is now the president of a foundation in memory of her husband, providing scholarships to at-risk-children, supporting the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival and the Hypertrophy Cardiomyopathy Association. Regina Faison is a successful women in her own right, stunninginly beautiful. This woman will surely take your breath away with her sensitivity and compassion. We look forward to seeing the positive work she will bring about on behalf of Derrick and the wondrous life he Lead. www.derrickfaisonfoundation.org
Kirk Spencer
Kirk was an amazing man, who, at the age of 36, lost his life to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Kirk left behind a wife, a four-month-old daughter, two-step daughters, a family that has adored him since the day he was born and a multitude of wonderful friends. Of February 9, 2004, I received a phone call that Kirk had collapsed while working out at a local 24 fitness and that he was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. I grabbed the baby and raced to the hospital.After we waited and tried to figure out what was going on, a social worker put us in the private family waiting area (NEVER a good sign) and the doctor and two social workers came in and closed the door. I was in complete shock. How could this happen to such a healthy, vibrant young man? How could he leave us? We all needed him so much. He'll never be able to see his baby grow up. All of these thoughts raced through my head. Even still, over a year later, I ask these questions every day. The hard part is that there are no answers. SCA claims the lives of innocent people every day. In Kirk's memory we have formed the Kirk Spencer Foundation, whose goal is to raise awareness of SCA and the need for AEDs in public places especially fitness facilities.So, we keep going with our forever-changed lives and we do our best to make something positive come out of this nightmare we're living. This is not what we planned for our lives, but it's the card that we've been dealt. We owe it to ourselves to keep on... we owe to Kirk to make some changes, to make a difference, to save a life.
Paige Spencer and Family
James Massey Jim and Judy Massey had only recently settled in the community of San Clemente after living in Hawaii for over 20 years when it happened. A return to Southern California was perfect for this active couple after Jim had spent over 35 years as a banking executive. Their lives were filled with many activities including volunteer work, traveling, family and church gatherings. Family always came first for the Masseys and their three adult children. Enjoying the beach, fresh air and outdoor activities was crucial to maintaining balance in their lives. So it wasn't unusual that Jim kissed his wife as he raced out the door on his way to the gym. Jim was in great physical shape and had always been able to pull a solid 60 minutes on the treadmill, but not on October 16th.After about 20 minutes, Jim suddenly collapsed. He stopped breathing. Two bystanders, a man named John and a woman named Erin didn't hesitate to try and help him. Together they began CPR and were able to sustain Jim until help arrived. Jim was transferred to San Clements hospital, stabilized and then transferred to Mission hospital. During the transport to and in the hospital, manual defibrillation was attempted over a dozen times to keep Jim alive. Sadly, Jim's brain was deprived of oxygen a few moments too long. He would never again regain consciousness and passed away on October 22nd. Another family robbed by the tragedy of SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH. Would an AED have saved his life? We may never know that answer. But what we do know is that it would definitely have increased his chance for survival. It didn't take long for the family to look for answers. The Massey family contacted the Ray of Life Foundation.........
David Stein
It was through my work with the American Heart Association that I was given a magnificent gift, a new friend. David Stein and I both served on the American Heart Association Board of Directors together. He laughed at my sarcasm, he gave me a shoulder to cry on, he gave me his arm at the symphony and he spent countless hours listening to me yak, yak and yak about getting AEDs all over Orange County. David and his loving heart stopped working at the age of 53 years young. One summer David was not been feeling well as it became worrisome, he asked his son to drive him to the hospital. Tragically, David suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the parking lot of Saddleback Memorial Hospital while getting help into a wheelchair. Never regaining consciousness, David died one week later surrounded by his loved ones. We remember him with love and light.
Helena & the boys
David Giovanazzi
David John Giovanazzi
The day began with such normalcy and happiness, yet it ended with tragedy and our world torn apart.February 8, 2003 was the horrific day that left my family stunned and struggling for meaning. It was the awful day that David Giovanazzi collapsed and died while playing soccer with his adult soccer team. That was it; it was over in a matter of minutes.David?s life, healthy and happy, came to a sudden shocking end. David was 39 years old, married for 12 years and had 3 beautiful young children.David was my brother and I loved him so very much. He was an incredible human being.
David was born on April 16, 1963 in Temple City, CA. He had 4 sisters and a loving mother and father, a large close Italian family. David met his wife Yvette in the summer of 1985 and they began a long courtship, which led to marriage in 1991.Soon after, they began their family together. Vincent was born first (he is now 11), Alexandra came next(she is now 9), and then Nicolas (he is 6 now).These three children were David?s number one priority.David would go into work as early as 5:00 a.m. so that he could be home early to spend time with his family. He coached his children?s soccer and baseball teams; he participated in every Boy Scout outing that took place. He attended all parent-teacher conferences and he was at every one of his children?s church-related events.He was always there, involved in every single activity in which his children participated, and he greatly enjoyed all of them. Everyday when David would come home from work and walk down his long driveway, he was greeted by three squealing children who would jump into his open arms?all so excited and happy that their father had returned home.He loved his family, his friends and life.David and Yvette had so many plans for their family and now Yvette is left to fulfill those plans as best she can, without David.
A man who had all his priorities in order, a family man, a hard worker, a loving son, husband, father, brother and friend-that was David. We will forever miss and remember this special person. He set an example for all of us how to live and love life, how to be joyful. Remembering this lesson is his tribute.
Scott A. McDaniel
Scott came into this world three weeks early, and lived his life at the same pace. It was not until after he died I realized he was packing a life time of things into thirty short years. After he died, the stories came to me, many through tears. He had several professions, two of which had great impact on others, and at the time of his death he had bee a Deputy Coroner for six years, during which time he was named "Outstanding Deputy in Georgia." He was a member of Mensa and named the Outstanding Young Men in America. Scott, was the best friend anyone could have, and that friendship included his mother. He would come into the kitchen and hop up on the counter for a talk, tag along on shopping trips and carry my packages. Always ready and willing to help out. In fact, Scott spent the last night of is life repairing a broken sliding closet door I'd pulled off the track and planned to install a garbage disposal that next day. Scott adored his nephew and his dog, Roxie. He was also proud of his dad, and hoped to become, in his words, "half the man he was". He was a sweet, sweet, son.
In the summer of 1997, Scott's father suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest while at home with the two of us. Scott immediately pulled his dad from the sofa to floor to begin CPR, instructing me to "Call 911 and tell them cardiac arrest. He performed CPR by himself for twelve minutes until the ambulance crew arrived with the defibrillator. Scott had saved his father's life.
The following day, the newspaper called him a hero. He was uncomfortable with that, and wrote a letter to the editor that was published. It said: "I'm not a hero; I'm just a son who loved his dad. The real heroes are those who risk their lives every day to save yours. Next time you see someone from the EMS, tell them thank you."
Just 7 short months later, Scott lost his own life to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Because he was alone, there was no window of opportunity for anyone to help. Scott saved many lives in his career, including that of his own father but he could not save his own.
Scott had asthma. The albuterol in the inhalant he used caused an arrhythmia, leading to Sudden Cardiac Death.
We took "Roxie" to the funeral. I miss him everyday, but feel his spirit all around me. Love never dies.
Joanne McDaniels, Scott's Mother
Stuart Cohen
Stuart Cohen
It was a happy day for the Cohen family, celebrating with family and friends. Stu was dancing with his wife at his daughter's wedding. Suddenly he felt ill and asked to sit down, on his way, he collapsed, a victim of cardiac arrest.Doctors performed CPR and revived him, but his brain was not receiving enough oxygen and the AED arrived too late. Stu was hospitalized and died three days later.
Stu's zest for life permeated all of his endeavors and his relationships. He had an incredibly positive attitude about life. He lived life with passion, his motto being: "Savor the moments." Every morning when he awakened, he was grateful to have made it through another night and have a new day to live. Through the years he used his insightful talent for communicating with and understanding others. He became successful as an executive and recruiter in the insurance industry. Stu was an avid sports fan and movie buff. He had an uncanny ability to be able to answer just about any question about any topic. He possessed such a vast knowledge yet he simply couldn't learn enough about the universe and it's history.
He was well known for his marvelous sense of humor and his enormous capacity to share love during his life. He is dearly missed by so many whose lives he touched.
Eric Aihara
I met Eric in high school. We truly were high school sweethearts. For twenty years, I loved, admired, and laughed with this true gentleman. We finished college together, married, and realized the dream of having a beautiful child and owning our own home. We traveled to fun places like New York, Hawaii, and Florida as a family.
Eric was never seriously ill in his whole life. In fact, he rarely got colds and took great care to take extra vitamins and other herbs when he felt he was about to catch something. Eric also rarely went to the doctor. He was an extremely busy man at work, and spent most of his free time being active with his family. We had talked many times about his going to the doctor to have a physical. I go every year and at times harped about his lack of doing the same.
Eric died at 37. Without warning, he had a hemorrhage of the brain, due to years of untreated high blood pressure. He left behind his most precious treasures, his eight year old daughter and his loving wife. We had plans to one day buy a condo in Hawaii, and he talked endlessly of working hard so that we could retire early and just enjoy life.
Our life goes on, but the hole we are left with is incredibly deep. My daughter and I have many priceless memories of Eric. We will live our lives being better people because of him, but the special times he will miss out on are still much too difficult for us to think about.
Thank you, Helena, for the opportunity to express our desire for others to be attentive to their health, not only for their sake, but for those who love and need them.
