An Enormous Heartfelt Apology From One Mother to Another
February 1, 2007
A few weeks ago, I blogged about caffeine/energy drinks and in that post I very irresponsibly said something flippant about Alex Corrance’s death possibly having something to do with said drinks. An excerpt:
I also wonder if the heart attack and subsequent death of Alex Corrance on Boxing Day was caused by something like this. Maybe. Maybe not. Caffeine really isn t dangerous in those quantities, and who knows if Alex had a pre-existing condition that caused his sudden death.
As it turns out, he did have an underlying heart condition.
Today, Alex’s mother wrote to me and clearly she was upset by my words (and rightfully so):
My son was Alex Corrance and I can assure you he did not take these high energy drinks. He actually passed away from an undetected and rare heart problem called ARVD. You can look it up at the John Hopkins website for more information. It was something that is very difficult to detect without extensive testing and this is usually done only when there is a family history, which there wasn’t.
While you say maybe, or maybe not - to associate my son’s name with this is extremely irresponsible and shows ignorance on your part.
Mrs. Corrance, I am so very sorry, for your son, for your loss, and for my words, which must have upset you greatly. As a mother of a son with a heart condition, I can certainly sympathize with how you must have felt when you read my original post. I wish I hadn’t written something so careless about your son in the first place. I feel absolutely terrible.
Dylan is 8. He plays hockey. He has an aneurysm in his heart. He is a ticking time-bomb. I don’t know if you even want to know who I am, who my son is, but I’m telling you because I can relate to you, mother-to-mother. Hockey Mom to Hockey Mom. Mothers of children with heart problems. We have a lot in common. I even grew up in Mississauga. If we met at the rink 3 months ago, I’d invite you over for dinner. Alex might have played X-box with Dylan, or given him hockey tips. We’d compare stories. I just wish you had known before December about Alex’s heart, and I’m sure you do too.
My original post was meant to generate discussion, to question marketing, to question ourselves as parents. I never meant to hurt you or your family when I wrote that post, and I am truly sorry.
May Alex rest in peace.
