JAKE’S STOrY
On December 6, 2022 Jake Adam Hescock, a healthy and vibrant 25-year-old, went out for a morning run in Boston, MA. Shortly after, a doorman discovered Jake unconscious and began to administer CPR. Jake had suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
About the Foundation
The Jake Hescock Win the Day Foundation connects families within the athletic community who have experienced a traumatic cardiovascular event. We are creating a future that places athletes’ health and safety first and prioritizes preventive screenings and precautionary measures to ensure every athlete is able to put their best foot forward.
Our mission is threefold:
1
Help athletes who have survived a cardiac arrest or other major cardiovascular events with financial assistance to cover medical bills, as well as to build a peer-to-peer network for survivors.
2
Assist families who have suffered the loss of a child to cardiac arrest with financial support and connections to families who have experienced a similar loss. No one should grieve alone, and the Jake Hescock Win the Day Foundation provides a support network to celebrate the lives of our loved ones.
3
Work with athletic organizations to ensure screenings are made available to decrease the number of athletes experiencing SCA.
SCA is a leading cause of death, and with your help, we will raise critical, life-saving funds for research and education.
News and Updates
GET INVOLVED
The Jake Hescock WIn the Day Foundation needs your help to broaden our reach and to raise funds needed to support families of athletes who have suffered cardiac arrest.
Here’s how you can get involved today:
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Give
Make a donation to the Win the Day Foundation. Your contributions will go directly to the provision of CPR trainings, AED installments in athletic leagues, preventive screenings, and financial assistance to families affected by SCA.
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Connect
Do you know a family who could benefit from working with our Foundation? Connect us so we can deliver the support and financial assistance they need - no family should experience this alone.
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Educate
Are you involved in an athletic league and looking to get a better understanding of how you can help prevent SCA and SCD? You’re exactly who we’re looking to work with. We can help secure CPR training kits and AEDs for your school or league, as well as to schedule preventive screenings for your athletes.
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Share
Send us a note with any other ideas on how we can positively impact the lives of athletes through SCA prevention and education.
WHY SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION?
LET THIS letter from one of Jake’s nurses helP YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM:
I have been a nurse for over 26 years and there are only a handful of patients that will forever be etched in my memory. J.H is one of these patients. I was not scheduled to work on Tuesday, December 6th but I had decided that morning to pick up an extra shift and go in to help out. As I was driving into work I got a call telling me there was a young patient in the Emergency room who had cardiac arrested and was being placed on Ecmo. I would need to respond to the ER to assume care of him as soon as I arrived. I braced myself knowing I would have an extremely busy shift but I also had this feeling that I was meant to go in that day. I know I am good at what I do and I didn’t want someone inexperienced taking care of a young patient. When I arrived J.H. had already left the ER and had gone straight to the cath lab. At the time he was still unidentified and we didn’t know who his family was or if they were even notified. It was never reported to us that someone was able to get into his phone and notify family. While waiting for his procedure to be completed the staff and I were trying to open his phone with no luck. I remember feeling sick to my stomach wondering how his family would find out. I also remember looking at his screensaver picture on his phone and hoping his dog wasn’t left alone. As we were finishing up the procedure we were told the family had been found and were at the hospital. It was then that we finally learned J.H.’s name and age.
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Once I arrived in the ICU with J.H. it was a whirlwind of activity to keep him stable. I knew I needed to get his parents in to see him as soon as possible but my focus was JH and keeping him stable. I’m sure it felt like an eternity to them, so as more providers kept coming in to examine or order more testing I held everyone off briefly so I could bring the parents in. The first time I met Carey and Jeff I could feel their pain. Every emotion they showed was exactly how I could imagine myself feeling if this were my son. I remember my first impression of them was just how kind they were. Despite being shocked, angry, scared and devastated by what had happened, they were also so thankful and appreciative that we were trying to save J.H.. After meeting them and learning a little bit about J.H. all I wanted to do was keep him stable and save him. I was so thankful that they had Jake’s friend Hannah, an ICU nurse, with them that day. I know the ICU environment is so overwhelming and families need help understanding it all. I knew Hannah was explaining everything we were doing and what was happening which let me be able to focus on J.H.. I knew Carey and Jeff were being taken care of and I wanted them to know I would take care of their son.. As the day went on, a few other family members and friends came in. What was so different about caring for JH was that I could feel how loved he was. I didn’t know anything about him, but I already knew I would have liked him. I witnessed the love and prayers and I believed he was going to pull through this. After I met Carey and Jeff I couldn’t stop thinking about how devastated they must be and how I would feel if I was in that situation. I knew I would not be able to leave the hospital and would want to be close to my son. Before I left I went to see them and wanted them to know that we were there to take care of them as well, and that we were going to do everything we could to bring him back.
After I left that first night I was off for a few days but the family was frequently on my mind. I checked in on JH and his condition and requested to take care of him when I returned over the weekend. When I returned on that Saturday morning I learned J.H. had been successfully removed from Ecmo but he still had not shown signs of appropriate neurologic function. I would be taking J.H. for an MRI to fully assess his brain. I was worried but still hopeful since he was so young. That day I got to meet many friends and family members who were at Jake’s bedside. The waiting room was crowded with friends and family. As they all visited I smiled listening to stories about him. I witnessed the love for JH and the whole H. family. I got to know Carey, Jeff and Luke a little better and it was evident how much they meant to each other. I was in awe of their strength during this time. They held onto their faith and remained hopeful that this nightmare would have a happy ending. This day turned out to be one of the hardest days of my career. The MRI report was devastating and showed no signs of any meaningful neurologic function. Having to deliver this news to Jake’s family was awful but it has put so many things in life in perspective for me.
After hearing the most devastating news imaginable, the family was distraught. I have lost many patients in my career and I try to separate myself emotionally. I do not like to cry with families because it is not about me or my feelings in those moments. This case was an exception. This was so personal and as a Mom I knew this loss was too painful and unfair. I will never forget Carey saying in that meeting “we have the perfect family, you can’t take that away.” It just made me realize how there are so many things we have no control over and your life can change in an instant. It could be me sitting in that chair having my perfect family forever changed. I wish nobody would have to suffer through that pain. What I do know is there is so much I learned from this family during Jake’s final hours that would make him proud.
It is very clear to me why there was such a presence of love and support for JH and the H family. Watching how kind and caring they were to others through their own pain speaks to their character and the kind of people they are. They were appropriately angry and distraught but Carey made sure the staff knew she was not angry at us but at the situation. I remember being mad at her for worrying about others but that is just one example of what makes her so special. I learned so much about my own faith that weekend. I believe in God but like many people forget to make it a priority in my life. I prayed with the Hescocks for a miracle, and when it didn't happen I prayed that they would find peace. Instead of being angry at God like many people do, Carey turned to God for support and guidance. She believed God would help her find the meaning in this tragedy. It is a lesson I will remember and share with my kids. I want them to know when things happen in life they should always know God is with them and believe he has a plan. I remember not being able to hold back the tears over that weekend. The H family let me cry with them and despite their pain would thank me for caring. I remember leaving the hospital on Saturday 12/10 after delivering heartbreaking news about JH. When I was leaving Luke chased me down before I got on the elevator and gave me a big hug and thanked me for everything. This was heartbreaking as there was nothing I felt he needed to thank me for, but so special to me at the same time. I was so impressed that this young man was thanking me for caring about JH and his family. This is an example of the kind of boys that Jeff and Carey have raised. The love Luke had for his brother and his parents was so special. As a parent I always worry if I am teaching my kids the right lessons to help them grow into strong, kind, good people. Carey and Jeff got it right and from what I witnessed it was easy to see how they were so proud of their boys.
I am honored that I was able to care for JH and meet this wonderful family. I will never forget December 11th and I know JH was surrounded by love in his final hours. I witnessed you alI showing him you were there and honoring him. I can only hope that this love I witnessed will help you all heal. I know there are no words that can ever ease the pain but I will never forget the lessons I learned about strength, kindness, faith and love. I promise to always remember what was shared with me about JH and honor him by passing on those lessons to others.
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