In the latest episode of Uncovered, join Bruce de la Cruz as he speaks with Adam Hoerdt, a retired math teacher who is biking across the country to raise funds and spread awareness of a Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Myopathy (ARVC), a genetic disease of the heart that has affected his family immensely. 

Adam Hoerdt’s story begins with the tragic passing of his wife Jackie in 2001, from a sudden cardiac arrest. At the time, the doctors had no idea what caused the arrest. It was only in 2018 when Adam’s oldest son Greg had his first cardiac arrest were they able to determine the cause of his and Jackie’s condition: ARVC. 

ARVC is a genetic condition that breaks down the walls of the heart, causing irregular heartbeats that can prove fatal. Many athletes suffer from the disease, and the first symptoms are usually unprecedented cardiac arrests in young adults. 

Adam was inspired to bike across Canada when Greg entered into a vegatitve state as a result of ARVC in September 2020. 

The 3 main goals of the ride taken from their Gofund me page are as follows: 

“Raising awareness of ARVC for all Canadian families and health care providers”

“Provide support for families diagnosed with ARVC at our soon-to-be-launched website (www.arvcfamilysupport.org)”

“Raise funds to help the research and clinical care efforts at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the UHN in Toronto”

Right now, Adam is nearly done with the 3250 Km ride from Newfoundland to Ontario, having started in late August, with his final stop in Kitchener-Waterloo. He plans to continue the ride once spring has come around. 

The thing that Adam wants people to take away from his story the most is that even though you can’t always predict what happens to us, whether it be negative or positive, you can still choose what to do next.