We’re sharing Jack’s story to educate others, not just to show how brilliant he was, but of the rare health condition that took his life.

Jack was born on 17th May 1994 at Sunderland Royal Hospital to Mam, Jackie and Dad, David. Though he arrived late (which was typical of his laid-back attitude), he was a healthy baby of 8 pounds 9. When examined by 3 year big sister Aimee, with her doctor’s kit, he was determined to be perfect.

He grew into a happy toddler who was obsessed with cars, Postman Pat and playing in the garden. He had no childhood illnesses excepting eczema and mild asthma and a very healthy appetite. Mam often comments that at 18 months, Jack would regularly eat multiple Weetabix for breakfast, with his record being 3 in one sitting.

At school he was exceptionally bright, if a little bit casual about homework, and very competitive academically. He played football for the Newbottle Bee’s, became an avid Sunderland AFC fan and took pleasure in memorising the national anthems of various countries so he could sing them alongside televised games.

Football became his life from around the age of 6. He watched regularly with his Grandad Jack and was known to talk a good game by adults he met in daily life. By secondary school he was something of an unofficial pundit, with everyone he knew coming to him for his opinion on latest signings, team gossip etc. Naturally, when he left 6th Form, he studied Sports Journalism at Sunderland University and graduated with a BA (Hons.) in July 2015.

He started work at Northern Powergrid a couple of months later but was only in work for a short amount of time. Though he suffered no symptoms in the period leading up to the event, he complained of sudden and extreme chest pain and collapsed at home on 21st October 2015. Paramedics took Jack to Sunderland Royal Hospital where he was resuscitated and it was determined he had suffered an aortic dissection, a very rare and extreme aneurysm of the main artery from the heart. At Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, he underwent extensive open heart surgery to save his life. Professor John Dark and his cardiothoracic team were able to fit Jack was an artificial ascending aorta and aortic root in a surgery which lasted 16 hours.

Jack recovered well, spending only two weeks in ICU at the Freeman and was back home within a few weeks. Unfortunately he was readmitted to hospital before Christmas in 2015 as he was feeling breathless and it was discovered that he had pneumonia, a common side effect of open-heart surgery. Jack spent further weeks in ICU, undergoing surgery to fit stents in his blood vessels and procedures to drain fluid from his lungs. He suffered a number of complications including Deep Vein Thrombosis and Kidney failure during this trying period.

Prof Dark and the team determined that Jack had particularly flexible connective tissue in the vessels around his heart and would need further surgery in April 2016 to replace the descending aorta. Jack had this surgery and recovered well, attending physiotherapy both specifically for his cardiac function and to regain his fitness. At this point he, and the whole family, underwent genetic testing but it was determined that although Jack had two abnormal genes (TGFBR1 and FBN2) it could not be determined as to whether these genes played a part in Jack’s unusual condition. Common connective tissue disorders like Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome and Marfan’s Syndrome were ruled out.

At this point, Jack’s sister Aimee started to regularly see the cardiology team for check ups to ensure she didn’t develop the condition too (as of 2024, she is in perfect health).

Jack underwent his final cardiothoracic surgery in 2017, when he had a procedure to fit a false aortic valve to prevent regurgitation. He was back to work in a few weeks and lived a normal life until April 2024, travelling Europe for the football with friends, receiving promotions at work and becoming a regular fixture on the SAFC Fan TV podcast. He lived a healthy lifestyle, regularly exercising, taking care with his diet and strictly monitoring his alcohol intake. He never took illegal drugs and had to be convinced to take an antihistamine during hay fever season.

In early April of 2024, Jack started to feel he was less capable than usual when using the treadmill and weights at the gym and within a couple of weeks had begun to complain of breathlessness again. His (by now) annual appointment with his specialist was brought forward to 30th April but sadly Jack became seriously ill in the early hours of 28th April and despite the best efforts of many paramedics, passed away quickly at home, in the presence of his parents, following a cardiac arrest.

Though the official cause of Jack’s death is not known (his family did not wish a post-mortem exam to be carried out), his specialist confirms that Jack lost his life due to complications with his ongoing heart condition. He was twenty nine years old.

Jack’s funeral was held on 17th May 2024, a day which would have been his thirtieth birthday.

We encourage anyone who feels unwell, particularly if they have chest pains, a racing heart or suffer with breathlessness to ensure they are seen by a medical professional as a matter of urgency, even if they have not previously been diagnosed with heart or lung problems, even if they believe that they are too young to suffer cardiac complications. If it can happen to Jack, it can happen to anyone.

Cardiac Risk in the Young offer free heart screenings for anyone between the ages of 14 and 35, follow the link here to enquire.