Baseball sojourner honors wife

On Sept. 8, 2008, Bob DeVries lost his wife to a heart condition she didn't know she had.

She was 35 years old. She was an avid runner and a huge baseball fan.

DeVries was devastated.

In an effort to raise money — and awareness about the disease that killed her, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) — he went on the road. He started a journey that would exceed his expectations and help people he didn't even know.

To honor Shawn DeVries, he began a quest to attend one game in each of the 30 major league ballparks.

It was during that journey that he met officials from the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation, which is based in Utah. He learned through them just how many thousands of people have experienced a loss like his.

Shawn didn't have symptoms that anyone recognized. She occasionally got dizzy and fainted once. Her condition was misdiagnosed. And then, one day, he came home from work to find his wife has passed away.

"The real problem is that it's a silent disease," said Laura Wall, vice president of development and marketing for SADS. "It's so devastating for families because it comes out of the blue."

One frustration for those who know the diseases of the SADS Foundation is that it's usually very treatable.

"Once you're diagnosed, you take a beta blocker," she said. "It doesn't get worse. Your life is not over. You take a pill. Those who are most at risk are under 35."

So DeVries' goal evolved with his knowledge, and he teamed up with SADS to spread the word and raise money once again.

In the summer of 2010, he will once again visit all 30 major league ballparks, only this time, he's doing it more for strangers.

He is hoping to raise $10,000 for the Shawn DeVries Memorial Fund, which benefits SADS programs.

But more importantly, he hopes to offer information that could save the lives of young people he may never meet. In working with DeVries, SADS officials say they're reaching people who might otherwise not hear their message.

"It's hard to get to the male demographic," Wall said. "It's hard to get dads in involved."

They hope the coaches of little leagues and prep sports will pay attention, will see the warning signs.

The warning signs of SADS are:

Family history of unexpected, unexplained sudden death in a young person

Fainting or seizing during exercise, excitement or being startled

Consistent or unusual chest pain and/or shortness of breath during exercise

According to the SADS Foundation, an estimated 4,000 young people die suddenly due to cardiac arrhythmias each year. But what DeVries hopes people learn from his trek across the country is that most of those deaths are preventable.