Let's Eliminate SIDS...

This story is reprinted from the Fall 2008 newsletter, "ConSIDerations," a newsletter for families and friends of the CJ Foundation for SIDS.

Reese Jaclyn entered our lives November 8, 2007. "Reesie Cup" as we began to call her, is our 3rd child. Perfectly healthy with beautiful blue eyes and crooked smile, we could not have asked for a more perfect child. Since we all have brown hair & brown eyes, my wife Kelly & I joked about having a blue-eyed baby. God must have been listening, because here she finally was! A perfectly normal, healthy baby right? Kelly and I were just saying how lucky we were to have three healthy, beautiful children. Did we speak too soon? Our lives were shattered on March 20th, 2008. A normal, hectic weekday morning, we got the kids ready to get out the door. Reese got ready to go to the babysitters at 9:00 a.m. I gave her and the rest of the family a kiss as they pulled out of the driveway--Reese was smiling BIG as usual. Just three hours later, at 12:00 p.m. as I was working, I received a horrific call from a police officer who was at the babysitters house. I was told Reese was not doing too great. She was put down for her usual 1.5 hour nap, the babysitter went to get her up and found her unconscious. They did CPR on little Reese for 20 minutes. After two sleepless nights at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with Reese on a ventilator, we were told the words that will change our lives forever, our princess was gone. An autopsy was completed and we were told her death was due to SIDS. We are in shock, completely numb and feel like our hearts were ripped from our chests. We feel like a part of us died with her. We respect and thank everybody who has been there for us during this unbearable time and to those who are fighting for a cure for SIDS. We plan to join that fight with you!