Patrick van Lindenberg died from an undiagnosed enlarged heart on June 20, 2024.

15-year-old dairy farmer’s heart stops while seated at movie theatre

R. Bruce McIntyre
Local Journalism Initiative

RENFREW — He was a farmer and it seemed like he was always on a tractor. He was a good student who planned to work on the family farm while at the same time earn a diploma as a certified welder. He could be a typical pain-in-the-ass teenager and then a minute later he was a smiley, energetic brother to his three siblings. He was goal-oriented and he was generous.

His name is Patrick John Arie van Lindenberg and without warning, this “larger-than-life” 15-year-old died suddenly while on a date inside the historic O’Brien Theatre in Renfrew. His tragic death has galvanized an outpouring of community support.

Around 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, a chaotic scene unfolded inside and outside the theatre. Minutes earlier, Patrick was seated with his movie-companion and suddenly he was silent, non-responsive and he stopped moving.

A 911-call was placed and minutes later, members of the Renfrew County Paramedic Service and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) arrived. Theatre staff quickly escorted all patrons out of the building.

Paramedics attempted to revive Patrick, while his sister Hannah began calling and texting their mother, Angela Field. On this night, she was Councillor Angela Field, one of five members of Admaston/Bromley Township council. She was attending a 7:30 council meeting and about 30 minutes into the meeting, she received a call from her daughter. Seconds later, she received another call from the same number.

She did her best to ignore her daughter’s cell number, but it appeared again. Once she read her daughter’s text telling her it was an emergency, she scrambled to pack up her materials.

“I knew it was something serious for Hannah to keep calling me and when I read that text, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I wrote a short note to our CAO telling her there was some type of emergency and I had to leave. She said ‘no problem’ and told me to get going.”

Fighting back tears, she recounted how her life completely changed in a matter of minutes.

“I knew,” she said as she wiped away the tears of a mother who realized her “mother’s instincts” were correct. “My gut told me he was gone even before I spoke with the paramedics. I asked them if Patrick had any vitals from the time they arrived until they began life-saving measures. They told me none were recorded.

“Patrick was transported to RVH (Renfrew Victoria Hospital) and the trauma team did everything they could, but nothing could be done. My oldest son was gone and I felt like my whole life had just been stuffed into a blender and spat back out.”

The hospital ordered a toxicology screen and it came back negative for drugs in his system. Patrick died from an undiagnosed enlarged heart. For some unexplained reason, his heart stopped.

“We were told Patrick’s heart was enlarged. The doctors have no idea how long his heart was enlarged or how it happened. He might have been born with it or he might have developed a virus. We likely will never know. It doesn’t really matter how he died or why he died. We have to accept it and now try to move forward as a family.”

Even in the middle of the worst time of her life, Field says there is one silver lining.

“When it happened, it is likely Patrick didn’t feel a thing and it was over,” she said.

She and her husband, Barend van Lindenberg, had to share the devastating news with their three children, eldest daughter Hannah and Patrick’s younger siblings, Jonah and Leila.

“Those conversations are the cruelest ones any parent would ever have to go through,” she said.

When asked to find the words that best sum up her son, Ms. Field did not hesitate when she said Patrick was ‘larger than life.’

“He was always full of energy, and he used that energy to pursue his goals,” she said. “From the time he could walk he was always making his way down to the barn. He was at his happiest there. When he started Junior Kindergarten, he told me he wanted to stay home and work the farm instead of going to school. I will never forget his first day of school when the bus pulled up and Patrick leaped off the bus. Waving his hands with a giant grin, he said he loved school and was going to go every day. He was so happy.”

Unlike most kids who sometimes do their best to avoid doing chores, Patrick embraced the chore list.

“He learned to operate and drive some farm machinery by the time he was five years old and when he got home each day from school, he headed straight to the barn and got to work,” Field said. “Then he would hop on his dirt bike and ride around the farm in the warm months or drive a snowmobile during the winter.”

Field said one of her son’s best attributes was his determination to reach any goal he set for himself.

“When he was 12-years-old, he wanted a dirt bike to drive around the farm,” she said. “Next thing I know he went out and got some chickens and he sold enough eggs to buy a dirt bike. Although he almost died while driving a snowmobile, he saved up enough money to buy a Polaris 850 snowmobile. When he put his mind to something, there was no stopping him.”

After more than an hour sharing memories of her late son before a June 24 tractor parade in his honour, Field said his death is not really newsworthy.

She said it is a horrible nightmare that she would never wish on anyone and said the real story is what is happening behind the scene. She said people should read about the generous members of this close-knit agricultural community and how they have made it a priority to show their support for her family.

“I had absolutely no idea how many friends I have … the last few days have been overwhelming not just for me, but for all of us,” she said. “I come from Sudbury and did not grow up on a farm. When I see postings about planning a procession of vehicles along Foy Road and driving past our farm, I am left speechless. We are all going to be out there at the end of our laneway …

“Our relatives from Sudbury and Holland will see what I have been trying to explain to them, but they really don’t understand. This outpouring of community support does not happen where they live.”

What has gone unnoticed is the van Lindenbergs own and operate one of the larger dairy farms in Renfrew County, milking 200 cows.

“Life goes on and the cows don’t know we are grieving,” Field said. “Some of us have to use every ounce of energy just to get out of bed to face the day. I can only say thank you to everyone who is helping. Since we lost Patrick last week, I can’t even recall when I did the regular farm work to keep our operation running.

“Family, friends and a few people I don’t know have been in and out around the farm and they are taking care of the animals and everything else so that we can take care of each other. I honestly don’t know what we would do if we didn’t have this kind of support.”

While this reporter and Field were taking a short break while sitting at a table at the front of their home, a tractor driven by a student made its way past. A few seconds later, a cattle transport truck drove in and parked at one of the barns. A man stepped out of the barn and helped the driver load a calf on to the truck.

This man was Tom McLeese.

McLeese worked for the family several years ago and when he heard about Patrick’s death, he drove from Dacre and did many of the same tasks he did in the past. The difference is this time he was not being paid.

“Like everyone, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I worked here and I know what it takes to keep this farm running. It’s hard enough when things are good and I can only imagine how hard it has to be to keep going while dealing with Patrick’s death. It’s impossible. I will keep coming up from Dacre until I know they are ready to go.”

“My last conversation was him trying to convince me he was going to hang out with the guys, and I could tell there was more going on,” she said. “When he got home from school he told me he ‘aced’ his final exam.”

He convinced his mom to let him drive the family’s newest car around the farm, even though Field reminded him he was only 15. “I made sure he was driving slowly,” she said.

“We brought home some pizza as I was running behind for my council meeting and Patrick ate his pizza pretty fast,” she said. “I was in my bedroom getting ready and he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. I asked him who he was going to the movies with and he said just some buddies.

“I knew he was up to something and I said to him, ‘I don’t think you are brushing your teeth for your buddies, dude.’ He mumbled through his toothbrush and again he insisted he was going with some buddies. I just nodded my head and dropped it. I had no idea that would be the last time I talked to him.”

Field said up until he collapsed in the theatre, Patrick had what she considers ‘an awesome day.’
“Right now he is with his two grandfathers.”

She advised those celebrating her son’s memory to “be positive like Patrick” and “cherish every moment of every day with your family. I found out just how fragile life is and how your whole world can be turned upside down in a matter of seconds.”

This article first appeared in the Eganville Leader and was edited for length.