What Is a Young Life Worth? What Is My Life’s Work!

Abstract

Life does not come with the instruction book, “How to Deal with the Death of a Child.” An- thony Bates was 20 years old when he died July 31, 2000 from undiagnosed hypertrophic cardio- myopathy (HCM). Anthony, my only child, was a col- lege football player. Each year he was required to have a “pre-participation sports physical,” he had at least 20 in his life. Heart examinations were not included. Anthony’s HCM might have been detected if he had had an electrocardiogram (ECG) screening. Anthony never really complained of any symptoms. Sadly, his perfect health was an illusion. It was 3 days after Anthony died that the coroner explained Anthony had HCM. We had no family his- tory, and Anthony had no symptoms that we were aware of at the time. However, there was one complaint I remember. Dizziness! While filling out a sports physical ques- tionnaire in 1994, he asked me about the question, “It says—have you ever been dizzy?” He remembered, “When I jump up off the couch to answer the phone, I get dizzy.” “Well, that happens to me, too,” I replied. “It’s probably normal when you lie on the couch for hours and then jump-up.” So many times since, I’ve recalled that scene in my head.