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Heart ailment killed eighth-grader

Wy’east student collaped while jogging

Thursday, June 11 | 4:01 p.m.

BY CRAIG BROWN
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

A Wy’east Middle school eighth-grader died of an unspecified heart problem, an autopsy today revealed.

Quinn J. Driscoll, 13, died of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, which is considered a natural cause of death, according to a news release from Dr. Dennis Wickham, Clark County medical examiner.

The boy collapsed Wednesday while jogging with his physical education class on the track at the middle school on a cool morning. School staff administered CPR and paramedics arrived quickly, but Driscoll could not be revived. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Cardiomyopathy is a chronic disease of the heart muscle in which the muscle is abnormally enlarged, thickened or stiffened. Often it is brought about by obesity, drug or alcohol abuse, or other factors. Idiopathic cardiomyopathy is when none of those risk factors is apparent.

Grief counselors were called to help support students at Wy’east, part of Evergreen Public Schools.

by Theresa Mack : 6/11/09 5:03pm - Report Abuse

My heart breaks for this family. I can't help but wonder, though, if he had pains in his chest prior to collapsing? I just wonder if some way this could have been avoided.

by Nina K : 6/11/09 5:12pm - Report Abuse

Cardiomyopathy often goes undiagnosed for years and is typically not caught until the patient is in congestive heart failure. Symptoms are easily blamed on other things. :(

by Vancouver Sue : 6/11/09 5:34pm - Report Abuse

It can also be hereditary, and give no warning signs that would tell the family to get him to a doctor. A similar condition runs in my dad's family - he died of it, as did his brother (although much later in life thanks to newer medications), and their sister had it as well, as do some still-living cousins. It was diagnosed during his army physical; but that was during WWII and a diagnosis that might have kept a young man out of athletics was not allowed to keep him out of the military. He survived to his mid-50's.

Let's all keep the family (and friends) in our thoughts. They likely had not a clue that anything was amiss. However, his parents and any siblings should be check out medically to see if anybody else has it!

by Scott Burckhard : 6/11/09 5:47pm - Report Abuse

I did not know Quinn, but my nephews played CYO sports with him. From what I hear he was a fine athlete, and an even better human being. My prayers are with his family.

by Jon Alldritt : 6/11/09 10:31pm - Report Abuse

Craig what where you thinking or where you even thinking when you put this in your story "Often it is brought about by obesity, drug or alcohol abuse". It has nothing to do with a fine young man or his family. You realy need to thik about what you saying not just copy something from Wikapedia. Please be a real person and apolagize for what you where implying. This is why I take the free version of the Columbian so I dont suport writers like you.

by j l : 6/11/09 11:11pm - Report Abuse

My son almost died from heart disease @ 25 we never suspected anything was wrong. In every way he was healthy and very athletic. I am grateful every day for his wife who bugged him endlessly to see a doctor when he started getting short of breath and losing energy, even that took 2 years.
My prayers go out to this family.

by Vancouver Sue : 6/12/09 7:18am - Report Abuse

Jon, he explained that in the article, in the very next sentence: "Idiopathic cardiomyopathy is when none of those risk factors is apparent." There are questions in peoples' minds: what might have caused this? Just like my dad's condition, which was also idiopathic, there is no obvious causative factor. Part of a journalist's job is to inform people of the background information behind the story, and that's what he was doing.

by J K : 6/12/09 10:44am - Report Abuse

Jon, the article is totally appropriate. In order to explain the difference between Cardiomyopathy (what this boy did NOT have) and IDIOPATHIC Cardiomyopathy (what this boy DID have), the explanation was in order. It was short, and very clearly written.

by Kelly Driscoll : 10/11/09 11:44am - Report Abuse

Just to set the record straight for anyone who may read this in the future. I'm Quinn's mom and he died of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy(HCM) which is a thickening of the heart(his heart was almost two times the size of an adult heart)and can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death. Quinn had no symptoms and passed all of his sport physicals. The only way Quinn would have been diagnosed(given he had no symptoms to send him to the doctor)would have been if he had had an EKG during his many sports physicals. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 500 people have this condition, and it is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes, yet we don't look for it. Please demand that your children get an EKG during their physicals. It could save their lives. I wish this article was more accurate on his cause of death and would have let readers know it could just as easily happen to their families. Erin Middlewood wrote an article on July 22 in the Columbian giving great detail of Quinns disease, occurance and what we need to do to detect it. Unfortunately it was only available in the print addition, but I think some other papers may have picked it up if you want to find it. Please help us to educate and raise awareness so other families don't suffer the tragic loss that our family must deal with on a daily basis. Quinn was an amazing young man and we do not want his death to be in vain. Please learn from our loss....