A wooden park bench with a red heart-shaped object on it, located along a dirt path in a sunlit park with trees and green grass, during sunset or sunrise.
A tree with green leaves and brown roots connected to a living health monitor, with an electrocardiogram line, symbolizing eco-friendly health and sustainability.
A diverse group of nine people walking together on a dirt path in a park with trees and green foliage, during daytime.

Sudden and Unexplained Cardiac Death and Arrest

Awareness and Support

The Tom Aynsley Foundation includes within its charitable work support for activities relating to sudden and unexplained cardiac death and sudden cardiac arrest.

This focus reflects the circumstances of Tom Aynsley’s sudden and unexplained death in March 2017, and the impact such events can have on families, survivors and communities.

Understanding sudden and unexplained cardiac events

Sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death can occur without warning and, in some cases, without a clear medical explanation.

In younger people and in individuals with no known history of heart disease, these events are often described using terms such as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) or Unexplained Cardiac Death (UCD) when no definitive cause is identified after standard investigation.

Current research suggests that in up to 40 per cent of sudden cardiac deaths in younger people, no structural or toxicological cause is found at autopsy. In these cases, inherited or genetic heart conditions are often suspected, but may remain undiagnosed without further specialist investigation.

Sudden cardiac arrest also affects people who survive the initial event. Survivors may face ongoing physical, emotional and psychological challenges, including uncertainty about cause, future risk and long-term adjustment following a life-threatening episode.

These realities underline both the limits of current understanding and the importance of continued research into underlying causes, including genetic factors, while recognising that many families and survivors must navigate uncertainty in the absence of clear answers.

Impact on families, survivors and communities

The sudden nature of these events often leaves families and friends with unanswered questions and a sense of isolation. Survivors may face a different but equally complex path of recovery and adjustment.

Common challenges include:

  • coping with sudden loss or trauma

  • navigating uncertainty and limited explanations

  • finding others with shared experience

  • rebuilding confidence and connection after a life-threatening event

The Foundation recognises the importance of connection, understanding and shared experience in responding to these challenges.

The Foundation’s role

The Tom Aynsley Foundation does not provide medical or clinical services and does not seek to replace the role of healthcare professionals or research institutions.

Instead, its role in this area is to support activities that:

  • promote awareness and understanding of sudden and unexplained cardiac events

  • encourage community connection and shared support

  • reduce isolation for families and survivors

  • provide accessible, respectful spaces for engagement and remembrance

Working with others

Where appropriate, the Foundation supports and collaborates with community-led initiatives and organisations whose work aligns with these aims.

This includes practical support for initiatives that create opportunities for people affected by sudden cardiac events to come together, share experience and support one another.

A measured, respectful approach

The Foundation’s approach in this area is deliberately measured. It is grounded in lived experience, respect for medical expertise, and an understanding that there are no simple answers to many sudden cardiac events.

By supporting awareness, connection and community-based responses, the Foundation seeks to contribute in a way that is supportive, respectful and sustainable.