Tag Archives: Scarletts Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act

Federal Bill to Address Unexpected Child, Infant Deaths is Now Law

ROSELAND, N.J. /ScoopCloud/ -- The SUDC Foundation applauds final passage of Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act. This legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doug Jones (D-AL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) to combat sudden, unexpected infant and child deaths. The legislation was introduced in honor of Scarlett Pauley, who was lost to SUDC in January 2017 when she was just 16 months old.

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children over the age of one year which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation and autopsy. Most often, SUDC occurs in otherwise healthy children during sleep. Approximately 400 children are lost to SUDC in the United States every year.

"Scarlett's Sunshine is named after a little girl who was lost to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood," said Senator Casey. "We must do more to understand why certain infants and young children have died unexpectedly, and to learn what is causing these deaths. I introduced the Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act to help increase our understanding of the causes of unexplained infant and child deaths and to help us develop new tools to prevent and reduce such deaths in the future. I am pleased that Congress has passed the Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act and it is now law."

"It's wonderful news that the Scarlett Sunshine Act is now law. I thank the incredible advocates and other lawmakers who made this all possible. I send my love to every family who had to experience this heartache and painful losses. This bill was written for Scarlett Lillian Pauley and other children who were lost to SUID/SUDC and works to prevent these tragedies. I am ready to continue building upon this legislation to save lives," Congresswoman Moore said.

"Scarlett's Sunshine Act will finally provide the support our country needs to ensure that infant and child deaths are comprehensively investigated, and that data is not only analyzed to help the individual family with the most accurate diagnosis but also help future research efforts," said Laura Gould Crandall, President and Co-Founder of the SUDC Foundation. "When your child dies, you are thrown into a public investigation system and you have no control over the tests being done on your child or the tests that are not being pursued. You often find out later, when it is too late. I am relieved to know that this new law will better support our country's response to these tragedies for the families directly affected, and to support the better health of all children."

"On January 8th, 2017, our lives were shattered when our beautiful, healthy, thriving daughter, Scarlett Lillian Pauley, went to sleep and never woke up. And we do not know why," said Stephanie Zarecky and Ryan Pauley. "Losing a child is the single greatest pain we could ever imagine and living without answers magnifies the tragedy exponentially. We try every day to spread Scarlett's Sunshine, allowing her memory to shine on and bring light to SUDC, the medical mystery that took her from us.

"We are so thankful her name will be able to live on in law and hope that one day no more families know the tragedy we have suffered. We are also so grateful to Senator Casey and Congresswoman Moore for their leadership on Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act in honor of Scarlett and all of the children who are dearly loved and deeply missed."

Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act strengthens existing efforts to understand SUID and SUDC better, facilitate data collection and analysis, improve preventative efforts, and support children and families.

The SUDC Foundation is proud to have advocated for this legislation. In November of 2019, SUDC Foundation board members and Ambassadors headed to Washington D.C. to educate their congressional representatives on SUDC and the importance of the legislation. Scarlett's mother, Stephanie, testified in front of Congress last year on the third anniversary of Scarlett's death.

To learn more and support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, please visit: https://sudc.org/advocacy/scarletts-sunshine-act

About the SUDC Foundation:

The SUDC Foundation is the only organization worldwide whose purpose is to promote awareness, advocate for research and support those affected by SUDC. The SUDC Foundation provides all services at no cost to families. Learn more: https://sudc.org.

*LOGO Link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/21-0105s2p-scarlett-sunshine-300dpi.jpg

The SUDC Foundation applauds final passage of Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act. This legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doug Jones (D-AL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03).

Related link: https://sudc.org/

SUDC Foundation Applauds Reintroduction of Federal Bill to Address Unexpected Child, Infant Deaths

ROSELAND, N.J. /ScoopCloud/ -- The SUDC Foundation is pleased to support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, legislation reintroduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doug Jones (D-AL) and U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) to combat sudden, unexpected infant and child deaths. The legislation was introduced in honor of Scarlett Pauley, who was lost to SUDC in January 2017 when she was just 16 months old.

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children over the age of one year which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation and autopsy. Most often, SUDC occurs in otherwise healthy children during sleep. Approximately 400 children are lost to SUDC in the United States every year.

"This legislation is named 'Scarlett's Sunshine' after a little girl who was lost to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood," said Senator Casey. "I wanted to honor Scarlett's memory and make sure that the federal government is taking all possible steps to ensure that no family will have to suffer the death of a child, without knowing why. It's appalling that approximately 400 children ages 1-18 and over 3,600 infants each year are dying from these unexplained causes. I urge my colleagues to join us in this bipartisan, bicameral effort."

"I'm honored to join my colleagues in reintroducing this important bill in memory of Scarlett Lillian Pauley and to help prevent the unexpected deaths of any more beautiful children in our community. No one deserves the heartache of losing a child. Not knowing the cause only compounds this awful pain. This issue hits close to home for me as my own state, Wisconsin, struggles with high infant mortality rates among African Americans. And to be clear, SUID/SIDS/SUDC is not a parenting issue. Parents, regardless of background or economic status should not have to live with this uncertainly and fear of losing their precious children and babies, and we're teaming up to do something about it," Congresswoman Moore said.

"While it is the fifth leading category of death among children ages 1 to 4, SUDC has not been directly addressed in our federal policy in regard to surveillance, research or prevention strategies," said Laura Gould Crandall, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the SUDC Foundation. "We can and we must do better. We applaud Senator Casey's and Congresswoman Moore's leadership on behalf of SUDC families worldwide and look forward to working with them to achieve our mission of a future free of SUDC."

"On January 8th, 2017, our lives were shattered when our beautiful, healthy, thriving daughter, Scarlett Lillian Pauley, went to sleep and never woke up. And we do not know why," said Stephanie Zarecky and Ryan Pauley. "Losing a child is the single greatest pain we could ever imagine and living without answers magnifies the tragedy exponentially. We try every day to spread Scarlett's Sunshine, allowing her memory to shine on and bring light to SUDC, the medical mystery that took her from us. We thank Senator Casey and Congresswoman Moore for their leadership on Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act in honor of Scarlett and all of the other children who are deeply loved and missed."

If passed into law, Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act would supply grants to help states, municipalities and nonprofits improve data collection and death scene investigations related to unexpected infant and child deaths, promote safe sleep practices and ensure death reviews are completed for 100 percent of infant and child fatalities. Currently, there are no nationwide standards for investigating and collecting data following an infant or child death. This makes it often impossible to determine the causes of these deaths, and what strategies our country can implement to prevent these tragedies.

This bill has been cosponsored by Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Susan K. DelBene (D-WA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Peter King (R-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Matt Cartwright (D-PA) in the House of Representatives. It has also been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, March of Dimes, Children's Hospital Association, Cribs for Kids, First Candle, KID: Fighting for Product Safety and the Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Guild of Seattle Children's Hospital.

To learn more and support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, please visit: https://sudc.org/advocacy/scarletts-sunshine-act

About the SUDC Foundation:

The SUDC Foundation is the only organization worldwide whose purpose is to promote awareness, advocate for research and support those affected by SUDC. The SUDC Foundation provides all services at no cost to families. Learn more: https://sudc.org.

The SUDC Foundation is pleased to support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, legislation reintroduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doug Jones (D-AL) and U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) to combat sudden, unexpected infant and child deaths.

Related link: https://sudc.org/

SUDC Foundation Applauds Introduction of Federal Bill to Address Unexpected Child, Infant Deaths

CEDAR GROVE, N.J. /ScoopCloud/ -- The SUDC Foundation is pleased to support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) to combat Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). The legislation was introduced in honor of Scarlett Pauley, who was lost to SUDC in January 2017 when she was just 16 months old.

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children over the age of one year which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation and autopsy. Most often, SUDC occurs in otherwise healthy children during sleep. At least 400 children are lost to SUDC in the United States every year.

"This legislation is named 'Scarlett's Sunshine' after a little girl who was lost to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood," said Senator Casey. "I wanted to honor Scarlett's memory and make sure that the federal government is taking all possible steps to ensure that no family will have to suffer the death of a child, without knowing why. It's appalling that over 400 children ages 1-4 and over 3,600 infants each year are dying from these unexplained causes. I urge my colleagues to join us in this bipartisan, bicameral effort."

"Wisconsin has the highest rate of Black infant mortality in the nation. Our babies die at rates comparable to war-torn countries like Syria," said Representative Moore. "This doesn't have anything to do with good or bad parenting. But because there are no nationwide standards for investigations and data collection, parents are often left wondering what went wrong and what they could have done to prevent their baby from dying. No mother, no matter her background, should have to with live with this uncertainty, thinking it was their fault. That's why this bipartisan and bicameral bill to fund critical data collection is a game changer. We need to know the root of the problem to solve it."

"While it is the fifth leading category of death among children ages 1 to 4, SUDC has not been directly addressed in our federal policy in regards to surveillance, research or prevention strategies," said Laura Gould Crandall, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the SUDC Foundation. "We can and we must do better. We applaud Senator Casey's and Congresswoman Moore's leadership on behalf of SUDC families worldwide and look forward to working with them to achieve our mission of a future free of SUDC."

"On January 8th, 2017, our lives were shattered when our beautiful, healthy, thriving daughter, Scarlett Lillian Pauley, went to sleep and never woke up. And we do not know why," said Stephanie Zarecky and Ryan Pauley. "Losing a child is the single greatest pain we could ever imagine and living without answers magnifies the tragedy exponentially. We try every day to spread Scarlett's Sunshine, allowing her memory to shine on and bring light to SUDC, the medical mystery that took her from us. We thank Senator Casey and Congresswoman Moore for their leadership on Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act in honor of Scarlett and all of the other children who are deeply loved and missed."

If passed into law, Scarlett's Sunshine Act it will authorize over $49 million in new federal funding to strengthen efforts to better track, understand and prevent SUDC and SUID. Specifically, it would supply grants to help states and municipalities to improve data collection and death scene investigations related to unexpected infant and child deaths and ensure death reviews are completed for 100 percent of infant and child fatalities. Currently, there are no nationwide standards for investigating and collecting data following an infant or child death. This makes it nearly impossible to determine the causes of these deaths and what strategies our country can implement to prevent these tragedies.

This bill has also been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Association, Cribs for Kids, First Candle, March of Dimes, Kids in Danger, Within Our Reach and the Aaron Matthew SIDS Guild of Seattle Children's Hospital.

To learn more and support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, please visit: https://sudc.org/advocacy/scarletts-sunshine-act

About the SUDC Foundation:
The SUDC Foundation is the only organization worldwide whose purpose is to promote awareness, advocate for research and support those affected by SUDC. The SUDC Foundation provides all services at no cost to families. Learn more: https://sudc.org.

The SUDC Foundation is pleased to support Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) to combat Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).

Related link: https://sudc.org/