Adam’s Legacy: A Commitment to Eosinophilic Disease Research

We are deeply grateful to Mike and Robin Rantz for sharing Adam’s story, and for honoring his memory by raising funds to advance research and awareness for eosinophilic diseases.

At the age of 32, our son, Adam, died unexpectedly from a massive heart attack.

Just eight years prior, he was diagnosed with a disease we had never heard of – eosinophilic fasciitis (EF). It took months to find the right doctor and to get the tests to get a definitive diagnosis. During this time, Adam was in extreme pain. His upper and lower extremities were so inflamed that it was difficult for him to use them. The delay in his care was beyond frustrating.

For the last nine years, we have been searching for answers as to why, at such a young age, our son’s heart failed.

Was it related to the EF? Was it related to the medications used to treat EF?  Was it a heart condition no one had picked up on? So many questions!  It took a long time, but we realized that no one had the answer.

In looking for an answer we found a way to honor Adam’s memory and help bring awareness to this rare disease. Fundraising for APFED has helped us connect with folks like us. Folks looking for answers. Folks looking for better treatment options.

Adam’s older brother, Ethan, took to the internet shortly after Adam’s death, in search of answers and found APFED.  With help from Julie at APFED, they organized the first AMR memorial golf outing. No one had ever heard of EF but by the end of the day of the event, our friends and family were able to pronounce eosinophilic fasciitis.   It was a start.  Ethan and Julie organized three memorial golf outings until COVID shut everything down. Over those 3 years we raised awareness and $50,000 to support eosinophilic disease research.  We are so proud of his efforts.

This year, my husband has spearheaded a fundraising event for APFED once again. Thanks to his efforts, APFED has been named the beneficiary of our community classic car show, Cars for a Cause. It’s a yearly car show that benefits a different charity every year. This year it’s being held on Sunday, September 14, in Quakertown, PA. You can learn more about this event.

Fundraising has given us a way to stay connected with Adam. To honor his memory. It’s not very easy reliving all the pain and hard times Adam went through but it’s a way of grieving as we continue to heal.

To support this event in Adam’s memory, please consider donating here.

Our hope is to bring more awareness to eosinophilic disease and raise funds so the research can continue and one day provide better treatments and maybe even ways to prevent this auto immune disease.

For more information about fundraising opportunities, please email APFED fundraise@apfed.org.