Jay Osborne had no idea when he went for a morning run that an undiagnosed heart condition was about to end his life at just 28.
He was a son, a brother to four siblings, a fiance and a father. Jay valued his fitness and headed out running on what was his first Father's Day back in June 2017 following the arrival of son Remy. His condition, Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy, would result in a cardiac arrest.
Jay's sudden passing was naturally a huge shock to his incredibly close family, but out of tragedy and a desire to do good in his memory, they have embarked on a mission to equip and educate as they look to raise awareness and make a difference among young people.
"Jay had a real passion for life," said his fiance Sam. "He loved going back to his hometown of Bude, he loved visiting friends all over the country. We always had something going on every weekend, he had a great social life. After his death the whole family came together and it was his brother Dan who first brought up the idea of starting a charity.
"We all felt it was the right thing to do and it's something Jay would've wanted, and done himself had he been in that position. If we can save one family from going through what we've been through - and still go through - it means it'll have all been worth it."
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Dan, Jay's older brother and one of the charity's trustees, told Mirror Sport: "I was pretty naive, even as a teacher, that somebody who is fit and healthy, plays football and goes out for runs, can actually have an underlying heart condition. Jay's death opened our eyes to that."
Jay was unaware to the fact he had a condition, a rare disease caused by a change or mutation in genes which affects the right, left or both ventricles, and that would take a life far too young. But his death would inspire the inception of a charity in his name - Jay's Aim - that is now determined to ensure no family experiences the hardships his loved ones went through.
The family, from Bude, Cornwall, began their work in 2018 with Jay's four siblings - Dan, Beth, Simon, Brook - and his fiance Sam committed to ensuring his legacy lives on.
Their main aims centre around three key aspects - providing defibrillators to local areas, clubs and communities; offering CPR training; and funding heart screenings to ensure that those suffering are made aware. It is estimated by the British Heart Foundation that 12 people below the age of 35 die every week in the UK from an undiagnosed heart condition - the majority of whom had no prior symptoms.
The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest rises from 6% to 74% if a Defibrillator and CPR are used within the first 3-5 minutes. Jay's Aim recently provided their 140th defibrillator. The charity targets areas where footfall is high or where young people often congregate for sport. Their very first defibrillator was placed at Exeter University Boat House, close to where Jay suddenly collapsed, and they now range across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
Jay's Aim have said: "Sadly we will never know whether his life could have been saved had there been a public access defibrillator nearby. The stats, however, don’t lie and we do know that someone’s chance of survival is as high as 74% if effective CPR and defibrillation is used within the first 3 to 5 minutes of cardiac arrest."
Defibrillators are now common place in professional sport, but at a cost of well over £1000 are by no means cheap. One of the schemes run by Jay's Aim was to ensure every rugby club in Cornwall and Devon that still required a defibrillator and public access cabinet was provided with one.
Training individuals how to use a defibrillator, as well as CPR, has seen over 10,000 people learn valuable information that could one day make a difference. Jay's Aim goes out to colleges and schools in the south west to provide 60-minute sessions that involves individuals carrying out CPR procedures on a mannequin, giving them an opportunity to put what they've learned into practice should they ever need it in a real life circumstance.
"There is the reactive approach and the proactive approach," Dan explained. "The proactive approach comes from the screenings, telling young people that they can go to get their heart checked and most potential problems will be identified. There's also the reactive approach - if you're playing for a sports club and your best mate collapses would you know what to do? If you know basic CPR and you know how defibrillators work, someone's chances of survival will go up massively."
The condition from which Jay suffered is hereditary, but knowing about its existence can make a difference. Heart screenings allow individuals to become aware of any problems they would have otherwise been oblivious to. Jay's Aim fund and promote cardiac screening events provided by Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Screenings with an electrocardiogram - known as an ECG - are offered at hundreds of venues around the country for free. Dan said on the opportunities available: "It takes 10 minutes, it is completely free, and 99 per cent of people will be absolutely fine anyway, but it is better to be safe than sorry."
Simon, another of Jay's siblings, said: "If you have the screening and you get found to have an issue, most issues are manageable - either through medication or small lifestyle changes."
The charity, which runs almost entirely from donations, has benefited from some valued partners, including the Exeter Chiefs, one of the south west's best supported sports clubs. Jay was there to witness the Chief's first ever Premiership success at Twickenham himself, just months before he passed away.
The two-time Premiership and European Cup winners support Jay's Aim through the Exeter Chiefs Foundation. Their chairman, Tony Rowe CBE, said: “We have supported Jay’s Aim for a number of years now and have watched the charity grow and evolve into something quite special. The work the team carry out is crucial, especially in the many rural areas that make up our county.
"Dan and his fellow trustees are incredibly passionate about what they do and work tirelessly to fund training, screening and life-saving defibrillators. They are a great example of how a very sad event can be turned into an incredible force for good. I know Jay was a big Exeter Chiefs fan and so it is particularly poignant that we are able to help the superb efforts that are being made in his memory.”
This weekend Exeter will host Castres in the European Champions Cup. Jay's Aim will be the game's chosen charity as they look to further fund their work through the generosity of the public and the club.
Last year the charity received another financial boost when the rugby and football clubs and a group of city business leaders joined forces. The Exeter Chiefs Foundation, The Exeter City Trust and The Exeter Property Ball (a biannual dinner) pooled funds to create a £150,000 Legacy Fund.
Jay's Aim were one of three charities to be awarded funds. It has set them on their latest mission, owing to one of the largest ever grants received by the charity, to fund 25 public access defibrillators in the Greater Exeter Area. That comes after a recent scheme saw them support local education causes.
A £20,000 grant from Aviva, which came about thanks to their relationship with local company GM Insurance, allowed Jay's Aim to provide public access defibrillators to a range of places, beginning with schools and extending out to areas such as Dartmoor Zoo in Plymouth.
The charity's work has now seen them collaborate with Exeter College as they remain determined to educate the younger generation. "One of our main things is to raise awareness," said Simon. "If people aren't aware they aren't going to learn about these things."
It also ensures there is purpose in Jay's memory, with the family committed to ensuring his death is not without meaning. "We purposely put his name in the charity's name," Dan said. "I would like to think that he would see that some good has come out of something bad. We hope he'd be proud of have his name in the charity's name so that it leaves a legacy, so that he's not forgotten."
Beth, the youngest of the siblings, added: "He'd be very proud. It is something that I think he would've done if it was one of us."
To read more about the amazing work Jay's Aim do visit their website.
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