“I’m working with the technology that could have saved his life”
Colin Peck’s Story
In 2019, Colin Peck lost his brother, Brian, suddenly and tragically to an undiagnosed heart condition. Today, Colin works at Medtronic – a company that makes pacemakers and ICDs – to help improve the lives of others with heart conditions.
Colin is entering his senior year of college at the University of Wisconsin Madison, where he’s double majoring in computer engineering and computer science. “I knew I loved technology from a young age – Brian and I always used to talk about it,” says Colin. “It was a shared interest. We’d play games together and nerd out.”
Colin works at the disability resource center at the University of Wisconsin, where he helps design adaptive technology that makes textbooks more accessible. “This was my first experience applying my skills in technology to help others,” he says. “I start to think about how I could take my interest in technology and use it to help others with heart conditions like my brother, Brian.”
In the summer of 2024, Colin reached out to Medtronic and secured an internship. Throughout the summer, he’s worked in two departments at Medtronic: post-market quality in the cardiac rhythm management department, and in the return product analysis lab.
“There’s quite a few people I work with who have Medtronic devices themselves,” he says. “And others who are family members of someone who’s had a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, like me. I know I’m working with the technology that could have saved my brother’s life. I’m turning my grief into growth – Brian drives my passion to help prevent tragedies from happening to other families.”
Brian Peck was 20 years old when he passed away from Sudden Cardiac Arrest in 2019. “One of the most notable conversations I had with Brian was the last night I saw him,” says Colin. “We stayed up till three or four in the morning talking about the future: what we wanted to do with our lives, the future of technology. The next morning, before I left for school, I decided to wake him up and give him a hug before I left. And that was the last time I hugged my brother.”
Colin and Brian were very close – and loved to talk about technology. “To this day, I see headlines and wonder what Brian would think about the latest advances,” he says. “I see Brian every single day as I’m working. I always leave a seat for him – in the car, at work. I see him in everything. Just last week, I was a guest speaker for an event, and was super nervous. But I could picture Brian dressed up for work standing next to me. He helped me calm down.”
Colin describes his brother as brilliant, loving, talented, and “awkward in a loving way.” Early memories with his brother include staying up late to hit each other with inflatable hammers as young boys (and getting in a bit of trouble with their mom!), falling off paddle boards together in Lake Michigan – and hearing his brother play piano and guitar.
“He’d play the same song over and over, and hit the same wrong note, as I’d play video games,” he says. “What helped me the most through my grief was picking up piano and continuing his interest in music.”
For others who have lost a loved one to a heart condition – especially siblings who’ve experienced a loss – Colin’s advice is to let the grief happen.
“Feel your emotions,” he says. “Take the time to really feel the grief. Think about the past, and the memories of your loved one. You don’t move on from something like this – you move forward. Allow yourself to grow and heal, and keep your loved ones close. I’ve learned to take every moment I have with my loved ones as a gift.”
Colin also wants others his age to recognize the importance of heart health. “A lot of kids and teens think they’re healthy and fine,” says Colin. “But Brian seemed perfectly healthy. Don’t overlook the importance of heart health – it affects you, but also everyone else around you. My whole family has changed since we lost Brian. Get an EKG. Ask your doctor about your heart. Advocate for how serious this all is.”
Colin plans to continue working remotely for Medtronic this year as he finishes his degree.