Joseph Gramling will be running the New York City Marathon on November 6th to raise awareness and funds for the SUDC Foundation.
Joseph shares:
I am running the NYC Marathon on November 6th in honor of our son, Miles, and to raise awareness and funding for the SUDC Foundation.
Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children between the ages of 1 and 18 that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including an autopsy. Most often, a seemingly healthy child goes to sleep and never wakes up. At this time, we do not know what causes SUDC, how to predict it or how to prevent it. SUDC is believed to be rare; occurring in about one in every 100,000 children. Every year in the United States, approximately 400 children are lost to SUDC.
The SUDC Foundation’s mission is to promote awareness, advocate for research, and support those affected by sudden unexpected or unexplained death in childhood. The SUDC Foundation runs solely on private donations as public funding is focused on other sudden deaths, such as SIDS.
While Miles’ medical investigation is still ongoing, an SUDC classification is a strong possibility as medical examiners have been unable to find a cause of death. In fact, the detective told us our son was “perfect.” Regardless of the final determination, we will always support the SUDC Foundation. They have been there for us from the moment we contacted them – providing grief resources, checking on us, and serving as a liaison between us and the medical examiner so we haven’t had to make as many difficult phone calls.
Please read about SUDC and spread awareness. If you feel it in your heart to donate to the cause, please click the link. Many of you have already donated through other venues such as Facebook fundraisers or giving programs at work – thank you!
Joe, Mara, and Miles
To learn more about Miles 4 Miles, Miles’ life, and the joy he brought to his parents as a child who was “adventurous, determined, full of energy, mischievous, funny, cuddly, a performer, and an all-around awesome kid,” visit Miles4Miles.com.
Miles will be with Joe every step of the way as he runs 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of NYC on November 6, 2022.
To donate, visit https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/fundraisers/931f56b655ad802f5d8b.
To learn more at about SUDC, visit sudc.org.
