“Children are not supposed to die...Parents expect to see their children grow and mature. Ultimately, parents expect to die and leave their children behind...This is the natural course of life events, the life cycle continuing as it should. The loss of a child is the loss of innocence, the death of the most vulnerable and dependent. The death of a child signifies the loss of the future, of hopes and dreams, of new strength, and of perfection.”
-Arnold and Gemma (A Child Dies: A Portrait of Family Grief)
July 27, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
I write to you with a broken heart, but with hope. Our hope is that our story and Denton’s legacy of change can lessen the broken hearts that others will unfortunately share with us as time goes on. Our Denton came into this world a healthy, happy, and much loved baby boy. Denton’s death may not have been preventable, but the agony surrounding it could have been lessened. There are more than 2,500 SIDS/SUID (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or Sudden Unexplained Infant Death) deaths in the United States each year. Tennessee currently has very few active and quality support systems in place to reach out to grieving parents, nor is there funding to properly train and provide materials/methods to first responders in the minutes and hours following the death of a child.
As a mother that has lost a child I have formed several statements regarding SIDS/SUID. Families have to seek ways to cope. Unfortunately, no amount of research is going to bring that child back. Knowing the cause of death will not change the fact that a child is gone and died suddenly. For this reason we will support any family that has unexpectedly lost an infant – no matter the reason. If the cause of death is determined after sequential autopsies or investigations the timeliness and insanity surrounding the loss will not go away.
Daniel, Avery, and I, along with a group of very close friends, are developing a non-profit organization to memorialize Denton’s life. In the beginning we thought our mission would focus solely on agricultural and educational projects in our local communities. Coming from a rural community and having grown up in 4-H, FFA, and other agriculturally based leadership programs Daniel and I have a passion for helping with these programs. We would have instilled in Denton a love for agriculture and an appreciation for education. Doors were opened to team with other SIDS organizations to help create and maintain support services for bereaved parents, educate first responders (EMS, Hospitals, and Law Enforcement Agencies), and spread awareness of this devastating reality.
Please join us as we strive to help spread awareness and support to people that have to deal with SIDS and lend support to other agricultural and educational projects that are beneficial to rural communities.
Our goals include:
• Presence at community events to spread awareness of SIDS/SUID.
• Support existing SIDS groups with bereavement packages for parents/family/friends.
• Information at local hospitals for bereaved parents.
• Funding for first responder/law enforcement training
• Funding for an annual scholarship for an agricultural or educational major.
• Spread awareness of agriculture
• Provide funding for agricultural projects in rural communities, including, but not limited to, high school greenhouses or livestock facilities
• Provide funding for educational projects in rural communities.
We sincerely appreciate your time and attention to these issues.
Warmest Regards,
Christy Rogers Brown
Founder of The Denton George Brown Foundation
