Paul Brunes
Young Heart
Foundation

Paul was born in the fall of 1978. From a very early age he was energetic, rambunctious, and sports oriented. He had an infectious smile that made you happy, transcending social boundaries.

Paul was an avid athlete, and his sports included soccer, rugby, ice hockey, golf, skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, and snowmobiling. He was easygoing and one of the most generous people you could ever meet.

Starting in his late teens, Paul complained on several occasions of a racing heartbeat. He sought medical attention on numerous occasions and underwent tests, but was never diagnosed with a heart ailment. Multiple ER and GP visits with EKGs, echocardiograms, blood tests, and 24-hour heart monitors all came back inconclusive.

In January of 2010, a major incident occurred. Paul was snowmobiling with friends when he passed out. He woke up on his own and attributed the incident to a lack of oxygen from his helmet being packed with snow. He again went to a general practitioner and had the full cardiac workup — all results were inconclusive, but due to the seriousness of the incident, a referral to a cardiologist was made.

On Saturday, March 13, 2010, while snowmobiling, Paul did not survive. He was 31 years old.

The Paul Brunes Foundation was founded shortly thereafter by the Brunes family. Their goal: to partner with VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation to raise funds for a Professorship in Heart Rhythm Disorders at Vancouver General Hospital — so that others like Paul can be diagnosed and treated before it's too late.

The multi-disciplinary BC Inherited Arrhythmia Program clinic opened in Fall 2012 at St. Paul's and VGH Hospital. The team includes specialists in cardiology, medical genetics, pediatrics, genetic counseling, and nursing.

Conditions studied include Long QT syndrome, Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, and Brugada syndrome. The most common referral is family evaluation after a sudden death, and the most common diagnosis — Long QT syndrome — is treatable with a daily beta blocker.

The program hosts 3 national registries (CASPER, LQTS, ARVC) and operates satellite clinics in Prince George, Terrace, Kelowna, and Royal Columbian Hospital, extending access across British Columbia.

Funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, CIHR, and CANNeCTIN supports ongoing research. The program received $498,832 in SSC funding for its first three years beginning March 2013.