Lost a Loved One

Losing someone you love suddenly and unexpectedly might make you feel like you’ll never return to your normal life again. Everything seems wrong, and you’re left wondering if you’ll ever feel better. If you’re here because you’ve experienced the tragic loss of a loved one, please know how sorry we are. We know that you’re trying to navigate through something for which nobody is prepared. Even though the journey is long, we’re here to be a partner to you as you move through the stages of grief and begin to heal.

Please feel free to reach out to us – we can help in the following ways:

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Offer our availability to speak (or email) with you to provide assistance with any questions you may have.
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Provide a list of grief resources.
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Offer the support of a family who has also experienced the loss of a family member from a SADS related condition.
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Offer our assistance to help you create a beautiful memorial page in memory of your loved one.
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Help you navigate the process to determine a cause of death and help other family members obtain screening.

After the sudden, unexplained death of a loved one, it’s important to know more about what happened to them to protect the rest of your family. SADS conditions are genetic, and can affect more than one member of your family, so it’s important to talk to your family about your loved one’s cardiac condition. Giving your family the gift of knowledge can help save lives.

The First Steps We Recommend

Contact the Medical Examiner ASAP to find out if they have saved the appropriate tissue and blood samples.

Get the parents, siblings, and children (if applicable) of your loved one screened for SADS conditions by a specialist (a cardiac electrophysiologist).

If none of the living family members are identified as having a SADS condition you may consider genetic testing and DNA Banking to preserve a sample of DNA for future testing.

Genetic Testing Companies

Ambry Genetics

http://www.ambrygen.com/

Client Services

949-900-5500

Blueprint Genetics

http://www.blueprintgenetics.com/
Customer Support

650-452-9340

Gene Dx

http://www.genedx.com/

301-519-2100

Invitae

http://www.invitae.com/

Testing Inquiries

415-374-7782

Prevention Genetics

(also has a DNA banking program)

https://www.preventiongenetics.com/index.php

715-387-048

Resources

Post Mortem Genetic Testing