Family of Shane Edward Tanzosh establish foundation for ARVC heart condition

WARWICK — Shane Edward Tanzosh, the son of Warwick residents Anthony and Felicia Tanzosh, was a brother, fiancé, friend, cousin and a lifelong athlete.
On Sept. 12, 2016 Tanzosh went to work at his family's business, Green Mountain Services, and stayed after to help them with some heavy lifting. He then went home, got on his motorcycle and went to his favorite gym.
After working out he went back home, talked to his fiancé and then he was gone.
Tanzosh, at age 26, had died of a genetic mutation called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a form of heart disease that usually appears in adulthood. ARVC is a disorder of the myocardium, which is the muscular wall of the heart. This condition causes part of the myocardium to break down over time, increasing the risk of an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) and sudden death.
"At 26 years old," said his sister Ashley Tanzosh, "Shane's heart turned off on him. We did not realize he had this condition until after we lost him. Unfortunately, despite his impeccable health otherwise, his heart was like a ticking time bomb. Young men and women, particularly athletes, can develop this condition that typically goes undetected by standard heart tests."
The Tanzosh family has started a foundation in his honor to help Dr. Webster at Northwestern University to gather and conduct enough research to create an early detection screening test, especially athletes in junior high and high school.
They also aim to increase awareness of this condition, a top killer for young athletes, especially males.
Contributions to the foundation can be made payable to:
The Shane Edward Tanzosh ARVC Heart Foundation, Inc., 9 Cortland Drive, Warwick, NY 10990
Donations can also be made online at: https://www.gofundme.com/shane-tanzosh-arvc-heart-foundation.
- Roger Gavan