Teen & Family Escape Boston Tragedy Unharmed, She Dies At Toronto Marathon

[Minnie]

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The van Nostrands saw tragedy and mayhem unfold around them at this year’s Boston Marathon.

The Cape Breton family escaped unharmed, making it back to a hotel before a bomb exploded close to where father Steve van Nostrand’s family members stood earlier, cheering him on during the race.

But the family of six from tiny Coxheath, N.S., who are all long-distance runners, encountered their own tragedy Sunday in Toronto, where Emma van Nostrand, 18, was running in the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon.

Emma was about three kilometres from the finish line — so close to celebrating with her parents, who also ran Sunday — when she collapsed and later died in hospital.

Now the family is trying to piece together Emma’s final minutes, looking for clues about why and how a healthy teenager with no medical problems could die so suddenly.

“It absolutely doesn’t make any sense to us. Emma was very fit, very strong. She’s been training for over two years,” her father, Steve van Nostrand, said Monday after flying back to Nova Scotia. The family has been promised a copy of the coroner’s report once it’s complete.

Though Sunday was Emma’s first full marathon, she was no stranger to long-distance running. She started at 12, following in the footsteps of her runner parents, and completed several half-marathons. She worked out with a personal trainer and ran with her cousin several times a week.

“She basically lived with the two best coaches you could have around here,” said Chris Milburn, president of the Cape Breton Road Runners.

Emma was up by 5 a.m. on Sunday, tweeting that she was freaking out about the big race. Throughout the day, she appeared to pace herself well and stopped for water, Gatorade and snacks often, her father said. Just after 11 a.m., near the 31-kilometre mark on Lake Shore Blvd. W., she collapsed.

Andrew McKay was watching the marathon with his wife and son. While on his way to a bathroom, he noticed several runners kneeling down and knew something was wrong. A group crowded around Emma, calling her name, which was printed on her bib, and pouring water on her to cool her down.

“A lot of people who didn’t know her became her friend at a time where she really needed it,” McKay said.

He called 911 and soon after, a police officer arrived, followed by four ambulances. Emma’s mother heard her daughter was taken to hospital, but had no idea how serious it was. The couple took a taxi to St. Joseph’s Health Centre.

“By the time we got there, she’d already been pronounced dead,” her father said.

[SebC]

Every time I read one of these stories, my first suspect is usually hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by SebC

Every time I read one of these stories, my first suspect is usually hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

I was trying to remember that name - I was thinking the same, but for the life of me, couldn't recall the name. Thanks.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by SebC

Every time I read one of these stories, my first suspect is usually hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A fatal disease that shows no symptoms until the victim drops dead while in an athletic endeavor. I think I'll just stay on my couch with a beer and hockey on the TV

[Flames_Gimp]

sad

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by SebC

Every time I read one of these stories, my first suspect is usually hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

COD has been determined to be an anatomical abnormality of the heart, rarely detected.

The father of a teenager who died while running the Toronto marathon says his daughter died of an anatomical heart abnormality that is rarely detected.

Steven van Nostrand said a coroner determined the stress of the late stage of the marathon caused an artery to constrict, to the point that his daughter's heart stopped.

"One of her major arteries is not at the normal angle coming in through the heart," said van Nostrand. He said increased stress levels would cause the arteries to close off.

According to the father, they've been told the outcome could have been the same just from walking up the stairs.