His family is now fundraising and raising awareness
Stu’s family were told he had died from a genetic condition known as arteriovenous malformation (AVM)(Image: Supplied by Jodie Grant | SWNS)
Recruitment manager Stu Grant was known as a super-healthy gym regular who seemed to sail through any sport he tried. His family say that’s why they were blindsided when he suddenly fell seriously ill mid-workout.
Within a day, they were told he had suffered brain stem death caused by a hidden condition. Stu was just 36 years old when he started feeling sick at his David Lloyd gym on March 17 and then suffered a seizure that doctors said wasn’t linked to exercise itself.
He was rushed to Worcester Royal Hospital, but after scans revealed a catastrophic brain bleed, he was pronounced dead on March 18. Medics told the family the cause was an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) — an abnormal cluster of blood vessels that can exist for years without being detected.
They believe it had likely been there since birth or early childhood and ruptured without warning. His sister Jodie Grant, a registered nurse from Canterbury, said Stu appeared in peak condition and rarely complained.
She said he’d mentioned an odd headache, but he assumed it was everyday stress and even tried things like blue-light glasses to help with work. She said the speed of it — and the lack of any clear warning signs — has left them struggling to process the loss.
Fitness fanatic Stu, 36, started to be sick for seemingly no reason at his local gym before having a seizure(Image: Supplied via Jodie Grant | SWNS)
She said: “I’ve never experienced anything like this, losing a healthy sibling with no warning. It fundamentally changes you.
“Now my other brother, James, and I are trying to get tested to see if we have an AVM. And there might be so many other people out there who have no idea they have an AVM too.”
Doctors explained that AVMs can occur in different parts of the body, including the brain and spine, and not every rupture is fatal. But in Stu’s case, the AVM was close to the brain stem, which made the bleed unsurvivable.
Although the family were told the damage was immediate, Stu was placed on life support in the ICU while brain stem tests were carried out. Jodie said staff were candid that the scan showed how severe it was from the outset, even as the formal checks continued.
Stu’s death has led Jodie and their brother James to seek testing, worried there could be a genetic link in their family. She said they also fear other people may be living with an AVM and not know it until it’s too late.
Stu Grant died due to a ‘hidden’ brain condition(Image: Supplied via Jodie Grant | SWNS)
In the middle of their grief, the family say Stu’s choice to be on the organ donor register has helped others live. His liver went to a 30-year-old woman, while his kidneys were donated to two men in their 50s and 60s.
Now his relatives are channelling their shock into a fundraising push to back research and detection. They’re planning a group walk up Snowdon in North Wales to raise money for The Butterfly AVM Charity, which supports those affected by the condition.
Jodie said: “We wanted to set up the mountain walk because he would have loved that. He’d have loved exercising outdoors with other people, and spreading awareness of AVM.
“Stu always wanted to be the best version of himself, and that came across to everyone he met. He was doing so well and he was robbed of his life. The pain for us is horrendous.
“Something like this happening, it just rocks your world. If there could be more awareness and testing for AVMs, it would change lives for the better.”