I read the post from the Dysautonomia Advocacy Foundation on Facebook earlier this week. It stopped my heart for a second. Christina “Tina” Tournant took her own life due to not being able to keep up the fight with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). Her memorial service was this morning.

We have learned a lot about POTS through several young girls living with POTS here in Park City. I also read everything about POTS when we first heard the word “dysautonomia” from our doctors describing Ava, Oskar and Lucy. We learned that our three children have an autonomic neuropathy, dysautonomia, small fiber polyneuropathy, unknown genetic dysfunction several years ago. My children are not described as POTS because they have not yet gone through puberty.

We have no idea how Ava, Oskar and Lucy will feel after puberty. I pray that we find answers sooner than later. At seven years old, Ava already talks and acts like a teenager. She is very aware that this is her life and that the pain, fatigue, heat and cold intolerance are not going to go away.

She will say things like, “Why me? Why do I have an autonomic neuropathy? Why can’t the doctors find answers for us? Why do I have to be like this?? I just want to be normal.”

I cannot even begin to image what Christina “Tina” went through. Our hearts hurt for her family and friends.

Here is the post:

Dysautonomia Advocacy Foundation is saddened to learn of the tragic death of Christina E. Tournant. Fellow team member, Osceola Fundamental High School valedictorian in 2014, and enrolled student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In recent weeks, she came home from MIT to recover from her ongoing battle with POTS.

“At 8:25 p.m. Christina, 17, was found dead after she apparently jumped from the garage. On the back of a photo of herself and her mother that Christina left behind, the teenager wrote a note expressing regret at the one puzzle she would not solve — her health.”
“Sorry,” she told her mom, “I couldn’t keep fighting.”

I sent a message to the parents through their foundation.

Dear Family of Christina “Tina” Tournant,

Our hearts hurt for you more than you will ever know.

We pray for all of you. We pray for Christina “Tina” in Heaven.

We are here for you. Please let us know what we can do for your family.

Much, much love,

Justin, Gina, Ava (7years), Oskar (5 years) & Lucy (3 years)

Park City, UT