Written by President of Aiding Hearts- Max Horland
My name is Max Horland and I was an average teenage boy who played JV Tennis for Agoura High School. I thought that I was perfectly healthy all my life; however, a deadly genetic disorder was proliferating in my body every day. I was playing tennis with a friend on October 20, 2013 when I almost dropped dead. I was experiencing a Ventricular Tachycardia (VT), an abnormal heart rhythm that can cause sudden death. Normally we think that teenagers are not at risk of having heart related problems. However, that is far from reality. What I was experiencing was a result of a genetic disorder known as ARVD. My brother and I are making an effort to educate the public about this disease, Arrythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD), and to raise funds for its highly underfunded research. We founded a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, Aiding Hearts, to fundraise for this disease.
However, I am still at risk for sudden death and heart failure. This disease is the leading cause of sudden death in young adults. Moreover, the disease only progresses and sometimes necessitates a heart transplant. Most people die before prognosis and 1/5000 people are affected by this rare disease. It is extremely debilitating and often depressing.
We need your help to fundraise for a cure and for the world to know more about ARVD!
My name is Max Horland and I was an average teenage boy who played JV Tennis for Agoura High School. I thought that I was perfectly healthy all my life; however, a deadly genetic disorder was proliferating in my body every day. I was playing tennis with a friend on October 20, 2013 when I almost dropped dead. I was experiencing a Ventricular Tachycardia (VT), an abnormal heart rhythm that can cause sudden death. Normally we think that teenagers are not at risk of having heart related problems. However, that is far from reality. What I was experiencing was a result of a genetic disorder known as ARVD. My brother and I are making an effort to educate the public about this disease, Arrythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD), and to raise funds for its highly underfunded research. We founded a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, Aiding Hearts, to fundraise for this disease.
However, I am still at risk for sudden death and heart failure. This disease is the leading cause of sudden death in young adults. Moreover, the disease only progresses and sometimes necessitates a heart transplant. Most people die before prognosis and 1/5000 people are affected by this rare disease. It is extremely debilitating and often depressing.
We need your help to fundraise for a cure and for the world to know more about ARVD!