As a young child, Collin was involved in many sports activities.  When he was 13, Collin began complaining of chest pains during physical exertion. His mother made an appointment with his doctor, and his doctor detected a heart murmur and ordered additional tests.  Further testing led to his diagnosis of non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).  

A local cardiologist saw Collin for two years after his diagnosis. He was still experiencing chest pains, and his cardiologist told him incorrectly that chest pains were not part of HCM and were more likely psychological.  His mother, a nurse, disagreed and wanted a second opinion.  She started her search for a cardiologist that had more experience with HCM. Through her research, she learned about the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA) and made an appointment for Collin with an HCMA-recognized Center of Excellence (COE). "It was a little bit of a rough start the first couple of years after my diagnosis, but by connecting with a COE, things got taken care of from there on out."

Collin had an ICD implanted and two ablations to manage arrhythmias in his early 20s. His ICD has appropriately fired on several occasions.  Collin was adopted, so there is no access to his biological family health history. He had genetic testing, and a gene mutation was identified.   

According to Collin, now 35, "When I was diagnosed, I was restricted from participating in any sports activities I used to do. It was sad for me because I identified as an athlete, and all my friends were through my involvement with sports."  Collin played soccer, baseball, basketball, and flag football before his diagnosis.  "The only activity I could participate in after my diagnosis was golf. I played through middle school and high school."  When asked if he still plays golf, Collin, now a father to an energetic three-year-old boy, laughed and said, "I still golf; I'd like to do it more...if my son would let me!"  Collin and his wife conceived their son using In vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). He was born healthy and with no gene mutation.

Collin has been connected with the HCMA for over 20 years.  Starting as a child himself, through having a child of his own. We appreciate his willingness to share his HCM story with our community so others can learn about HCM from the patient perspective.