Josh Avvenevole, a much loved 26 year-old with an enthusiasm for family, friends, study and sport was lost to us suddenly on Mother’s Day in 2019. Josh had a wide circle of friends, a quick and clever mind, a razor sharp wit and a penchant for Bush Poetry. He had travelled to Europe, the US, Canada and Japan and would be found in Museums, a cracking pub or hurtling down the ski slopes. After finishing a degree in Biomedical Science Josh was close to finishing a Masters of Analytical Finance which was awarded posthumously, he was hopeful of a career financing new medical developments.  Josh is the adored second son of Concord Golf Club members Jenny & Anthony Avvenevole,  brother to Ben & Lucy, brother in law to Melissa and Uncle to little Francesca who he would have showered with love.

Sudden Cardiac Death in the young (SCDY) is sudden and unexpected death by loss of heart function. It is a tragic event affecting millions of individuals worldwide.  The life years lost and impact on the families and friends of victims aged under 40 (including children) is devastating.

In research, the focus has shifted towards prevention of these deaths, but a significant gap in understanding causes remains. Many have no known heart conditions.

May his legacy be to save others of a similar age and families of a similar adoration

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Heart of the Green 2024 supports: 

Associate Professor Jodie Ingles' research that is focused on inherited heart diseases and sudden cardiac death.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a global public health issue that affects approximately 3,000 Australians aged below 50 per year. It occurs when a person develops a dangerous heart rhythm that prevents the heart from effectively pumping blood through the body. Those who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest generally have no prior health conditions, but only 1 in 10 will survive to hospital, and there are often no warning signs.

Garvan is leading the following initiatives to improve understanding of sudden cardiac arrest in the young.

• The NSW Sudden Cardiac Arrest Registry (https://www.garvan.org.au/research/clinical-trials/nsw-sudden-cardiac-arrest-registry) aims to recruit all individuals affected by sudden cardiac arrest in NSW, aged 1 to 50, along with their family members, to identify early warning signs, understand risk factors, improve healthcare guidelines, and uncover genetic causes for new treatments.
• The NSW SCA data linkage project uses routinely collected health data to examine out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest and interactions with the healthcare system. It aims to identify variables associated with poorer outcomes and enhance prevention and treatment strategies.
• We have co-designed an intervention (COPE-SCD; https://www.copescd.org.au/) consisting of a website and a 4-session online support program for SCD family members. We have recently piloted these to assess acceptability in the user group, with plans for an effectiveness trial to assess its impact on psychological distress and clinical implementation.