Dedicated To My Warrior Mama, Doris May You R.I.P. ❤️ "SHE WHO SAVED ONE LIFE, IT'S AS IF SHE HAS SAVED THE WORLD."

Before the Last Heartbeat

A Family Legacy, Medical Mystery, and the Fight to Save Lives

Dear Reader,

I hope this finds you well. I’m excited to share Before the Last Heartbeat, a long-overdue narrative nonfiction story told with the intimacy of a novel, woven with medical intrigue and multigenerational stakes.

You'll get to know us before everything changed - what made us laugh, what held us together, and  how we loved. Meet my incredible brother Jack, my sweet, strong sister Sharon, my fierce, loving mom Doris who fought for her children, my complicated dad Alan, our extended family, and of course, me.   This story brings readers directly into our world, showing the everyday love, humor, and resilience that made our losses so devastating.

And then came the late-night call every parent fears.

My 20-year-old healthy, athletic brother Jack died suddenly.
The coroner said he “died peacefully in his sleep.” And no one could explain what had happened.

In one moment, our world fell apart. What we didn’t yet understand was that this was only the beginning of the tragedies in our family. Sometimes the first symptom is the last, which is why the search for answers becomes so urgent.

We were just an ordinary family thrust into an extraordinary battle for truth - a fight my mother and I ultimately championed together. We didn’t always agree, but we shared one unshakable conviction: we would turn our heartbreak into action. We refused to be silenced or dismissed any longer. Through years of misdiagnosis, medical arrogance, and disbelief, we kept pushing, until we uncovered the silent genetic killer hiding in our DNA, waiting to strike.

Before the Last Heartbeat goes beyond loss to reveal what came next: the fight to educate the medical community, the creation of a foundation to help families like ours, and the discoveries that reshaped the field of cardiac genetics. 

The truth came too late for our family, but armed with answers we never had before, we made it our mission to help others at risk, so no other family would have to endure the agony of losing a child, a sibling, or a loved one.

This isn’t just another true story. It’s real life, with humor, tragedy, advocacy, and the belief we can all make a difference.  If you are part of a book club, a parent, a sibling, or simply someone who has ever felt unheard, this book is for you. Please read it, share it and take this journey with us. 

I promise you won’t be able to put this down, and I truly cannot wait to hear what you think.

With love,

Nancy