As told by his wife, Allison
In January 2017, my husband Brian and I had been married for one year, and I had just given birth to our son seven weeks earlier.
Brian started mentioning that he had bad calf pain. For a man that never complained, this was odd, but I didn’t know to be worried.
The day before Brian died, we had our first day date out away from the baby. We went to the movies and to Target, and I remember him saying his neck hurt. I was not alarmed by this, because unfortunately I was not aware of the signs of a blood clot.
The next morning, Brian woke up with the baby and called for me. When I reached him and took our son, Brian collapsed. I called 9-1-1, and Brian was in and out of consciousness. On the way to the hospital, he passed away.
After his death, we found out he had factor V Leiden. Our son Carter, who is now 7, tested positive as well as Brian’s dad and sister.
I am raising our son without his dad and we grieve the tremendous loss every day.
My advice to others is to be aware of symptoms and if in doubt, please be vocal and just go get yourself checked. If you have a family member who has had a blood clot, you are at risk also, as it is hereditary. Ask your doctor if you should get tested for a clotting disorder. Knowledge will save lives!
