Boy, 14, died of sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball

Five years on from the loss of her son, Fiona Connolly recalls the moment her 14-year-old son Max's heart stopped while he was playing basketball. She describes pleading with hospital staff to save him, telling them his name and asking them to bring him back to life.

Max's case was identified as sudden cardiac arrest, a condition in which the first and sometimes only warning sign is that the heart simply stops beating, without prior symptoms.

A significant risk for young people

Research indicates that in Australia, at least one person under the age of 35 experiences a sudden cardiac arrest every day. Studies estimate the fatality rate for these events at around 90%, making sudden cardiac arrest one of the biggest killers of young people in the country.

Max's death reflects a wider pattern of otherwise healthy children and teenagers dying suddenly and unexpectedly, sometimes overnight, leaving families searching for answers in the aftermath.

Support available

In Australia, people affected by grief and loss can access support through the organisation Griefline.