Aidan Joseph Silva was a bright child filled with love, joy, compassion, and a sensitivity that touched every person he had come to know in his short seven years with us.

Aidan was absolutely the best older brother in the world to his sidekick, Devin. The one word that still best describes Aidan is “gentle.” An old soul, a total sweetheart, too good to be true.

On a sunny afternoon on Labor Day Weekend 2010, Aidan suddenly collapsed, without warning, and died from unexplained Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Despite investigations by medical examiners and geneticists, a cause for the arrhythmia that “short-circuited” Aidan’s heart is still unknown.

Aidan was seemingly in perfect health. He had received a “thumbs up” by his pediatrician at his annual checkup, six weeks before his death. Aidan was seven years, ten weeks, and 5 days old.

WHAT IS SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. There are usually no warning signs or symptoms, and victims of SCA usually appear to be in perfect health just seconds before their collapse. Sudden Cardiac Arrest results from an electrical disturbance, or “short circuit,” in the heart that disrupts its pumping action, stopping blood flow to the brain and other vital organs in the body.