Cassondra Reynolds, a mother of 3 kids, shared the horrible story of her husband, who died 9 years ago, after a cardiac arrest, as she trying to increase awareness of the dangers of drinking energy drinks per day.

49-year-old Cassondra, from California, lost her husband of 10 years and the father of 3 children, in 2011 when he suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of just 41.

John Reynolds, a mechanic, was known for working during night shifts and would have an energy drink before he would start working to keep himself alert.

On February 5, 2011, Cassondra woke up to hear her husband gasping for air in bed.

She moved him onto the floor, where she performed CPR before the authorities and emergency services responders could arrive.

Talking about the incident, Cassondra said, “I was in a state of panic and shock because I had no idea what was happening to my husband. I saw him turn from blue to grey and I was just praying that nothing would happen to him.”

John was rushed to the hospital, where he was placed into a medically-induced coma at the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit).

The doctors failed to save him, and 14 days later, he was pronounced as brain dead.

Cassondra had to switch off his life support machine.

Cassondra and John’s 3 sons were 5, 6, and 8 years old when the life support machine of their father was switched off.

Recalling the moment, Cassondra said, “I let my children come and visit him to say their goodbyes. I asked the nurse to remove as many wires as possible so that they wouldn’t be scared.”

Before the cardiac arrest, Cassondra said John was healthy and worked out every single day.

She said, “He had had a full physical examination the month prior and all his results came back fine.”

When John was rushed into the hospital, she was told that her husband’s sugar levels were sky-high.

The doctors reportedly asked her all sorts of questions about his lifestyle and if he was taking drugs or if he had any health issues.

Cassondra said, “The head cardiologist came out and told me: ‘Your husband is a very fit man and his heart is strong like that of a 25-year-old.”

Cassondra added, “It’s not normal for a healthy 41-year-old who doesn’t drink or smoke, who has what appears to be a strong heart and just had a physical with no findings, to suffer a cardiac arrest. We need to find what caused this.”

The doctors asked Cassondra about the types of food John was eating and what type of medications he was on.

After finding no answers, the doctors asked if he drank any energy drinks.

She then said, “I told him that yes he does, but only once a day before he goes to work because he has to work night shifts. He immediately explained that it only takes one energy drink to throw off the rhythm of your heart, causing a heart arrhythmia. They began to put the pieces together, but I still couldn’t believe that one energy drink could cause this much pain. The doctor told me that drinking energy drinks is like playing Russian roulette with your life, and that really stuck with me.”

9 years after her husband’s death, Cassondra is raising awareness of the damage energy drinks can cause.

She also shared heart-breaking images of the last time her children saw their father.

Right now, Cassandra is fighting to impose laws that restrict the consumption of energy drinks and launched the Awareness Project, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the dangers of energy drinks and pre-workout supplements.

Cassondra said, “If you suspect that your loved one has had an adverse reaction to these drinks, report it to your governing food agency. These drinks are not tested enough and there is no age limit in the US for who can buy these drinks. It’s the synergistic effect when these substances are combined with the additional stimulants contained in energy drinks that appears to be causing so many cardiac issues. I don’t want anyone to go through what me and my children have had to go through these past nine years; it doesn’t get any easier, you just learn how to cope with it.”

Energy Drink and Pre-Workout Awareness, a group on Facebook that was started by Cassondra, currently has around 11,000 members, with many sharing similar stories about the devastating consequences of energy drinks.

Cassondra says she is still having a hard time moving one because her heart still belongs to John.

Cassondra said, “He was my only family, he was my everything and he was my soulmate and now he’s gone.”

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Cassandra.