18-year-old Taunton athlete was full of life, then a condition he didn’t know he had killed him

The family of a Bristol County teen is looking to bring awareness to a condition that killed him and he didn’t know he had it.

18-year-old JJ Facey of Taunton was a decorated soccer player on his way to continue his athletics and academics at Framingham State University. He also worked at the local Hannaford’s. All of that changed on Monday when he passed away.

According to family and a GoFundMe fundraiser, JJ suffered from a heart condition known as Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Its treatable and a relatively common disorder if you know that you have it. HOCM is a significant cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, including well-trained athletes. It can be difficult to diagnose and unfortunately, HOCM is often not diagnosed until a significant cardiac event has occurred. The condition often results in obstruction of blood flow in the heart.

JJ’s family is looking to bring awareness by wanting required heart checks, including EKGs and ultrasounds, in any youth, to ensure that not another boy, girl, man or woman falls victim to this treatable condition.

JJ was described by his family with many adjectives such as kind, gentle, smart, loyal, strong, competitive, humble, dedicated, honest, gracious, family oriented, outgoing, brave, polite, calm, patient, vibrant, charming, funny, happy, impactful and always lived life to the fullest. His smile would light up a room. Co-workers stated that he was a great person to be around.

Now that light is left to live on in the memories of those who knew him.

Facey’s services have yet to be announced.