Husband of Toronto mother who died suddenly on run says he lost his 'everything'
The devastated husband of a young Toronto mother who died suddenly while on a run this weekend says he has lost his "everything" and that his life will never be the same.
Jenn Gouveia collapsed and died on Sunday while out for a run in High Park.
"It started as a regular Sunday," her husband, Mitch Darragh, told CTV News Toronto on Thursday.
Darragh said the 38-year-old decided to go for a run, something she did multiple times a week, before they would go over to a friend's house for a barbeque.
Gouveia left and Darragh said he said he became busy around the house, not realizing how long his wife had been gone for.
"My mom was calling me, and I finally answered her, and she told me the police were trying to get a hold of me," Darragh said.
He then received a call from Gouveia’s mother, who told him his wife had collapsed in High Park.
"I immediately thought it was just heat exhaustion," he said. "And then the police called me and told me they were trying to resuscitate her but had no luck."
Gouveia was pronounced dead in hospital and is believed to have died from cardiac arrest, Darrgh said.
He said his wife had no pre-existing health conditions, ate well, didn’t drink, and was overall "completely healthy."
She leaves behind her husband and two daughters, aged six and four.
"She was our everything," Darragh said. "She was the cornerstone of our house. It all just happened so quickly."
Jenn Gouveia collapsed and died on Sunday while out for a run in High Park. (GoFundMe)
Darragh said his wife had just landed her dream job with Lululemon and had signed a contract to be the manager at Sherway Gardens.
"That was literally her endgame, what she wanted since the beginning," he said. "She was at such a good point in her career."
Darragh, who works in the hospitality industry, said his wife supported the family through the pandemic while he took care of the kids.
Friends of Gouveia have organized a GoFundMe page to help support Darragh and the two children financially.
"This devastating loss has taken a severe emotional toll, but also a heavy financial one," her friend's wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Our Jenn was the rock of her family. She ran the show with humour, wit, style, confidence and love.”"
"This financial support will help Mitch and his girls secure their stability, while they navigate this difficult time."
Since being launched one day ago, more than $180,000 of the $500,000 goal has been raised.
"Our whole future plans are ruined," Darragh said through tears.
"This is life altering."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.