Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I would be most grateful if instead of giving me birthday presents you supported The SUDC Foundation and help little Rex make a difference to help make Sudden Unexplained death in Children predictable and preventable. 

On Saturday 7^thFebruary 2015, our neighbour’s 21-month-old son Rex Gooden suddenly and unexpectedly passed away during his lunchtime sleep. Rex’s death is referred to as SUDC.  The Sudden Unexplained Death of a Child over the age of 12 months, which remains unexplained after all known and possible causes of death have been ruled out. It is very rare but in 2014 there were 25 cases recorded in England and Wales. Currently SUDC is an unpredictable and unpreventable tragedy.

‘The SUDC Foundation’ which provides much needed support for families around the world and is a source of critical funding for SUDC research. The foundation’s aim is to make SUDC predictable and
preventable so no family ever has to suffer the loss of their beautiful
child.  Your donation however small will help raise awareness of SUDC in the UK and initiate opportunities for new UK research into SUDC.  Thank you so much.

Camilla Gooden's story:

Rex was the youngest of our three children, Ella 10, Monty 4 and Rex 21 months old. He was a gregarious happy toddler who attracted an audience wherever he went. He had a smile that could light up a room and a contagious giggle that will never be forgotten. His siblings adored him and were looking forward to growing up with him and sharing
their future together.

The week Rex passed away, both boys had been suffering from a viral infection, Rex seemingly less so than his 4 year old brother Monty. In the early hours of Saturday morning we were woken by Rex. He was hot and bothered with a slight temperature. I took him downstairs and tried to calm him. He persistently called for his Daddy so Paul joined us as we
all squeezed onto the sofa. With his arms tightly around us both, Rex was finally content. The significance didn't hit us until his unexpected
death only hours later. At least we had had those special few hours holding him together. 

That morning, we were all tired from a broken night’s sleep, but Rex was still well enough to be jumping off the sofa onto a beanbag beaming ‘to infinity and beyond’ from his favourite film ‘Toy Story 2’. He went down for his daily afternoon nap as usual. When we went to wake Rex from his sleep we were confronted with every parents' worst nightmare
- Rex wasn't breathing. Despite the best efforts of the first responders, an air ambulance crew, and the staff at the Princess Royal hospital in
Farnborough, Rex was pronounced dead a few hours later.

The support we received from The Lullaby Trust, The SUDC Foundation, family and our local community has been nothing short of amazing and we are forever grateful. 

Whilst sitting in the A&E cubicle with my darling Rex in my arms for the last time, I promised myself that I would dedicate the same amount of time I would have dedicated to him in life to him in death.  I am intent on making our inconceivable unexpected tragedy into a triumph remembering our beloved happy Rex.

Advocacy and fundraising for SUDC is key. With the incredible support of friends, family and total strangers we have raised £80k to help fund the first 2-year SUDC research project by Professor Neil Sebire at Great Ormond Street Hospital through The Lullaby Trust and The SUDC section of The Oasis Study by Prof Fleming. SUDC is such an under-researched area, and anything we can do to stop another toddler from
suffering the same fate, as our beloved Rex is a positive.  We have also raised approximately £40K for The SUDC Foundation, an International charity based in the U.S. I am now in touch with a number of UK SUDC families and we stand united in our desire to raise more awareness in the UK, more funds and ultimately more new UK research into why
children are dying without explanation in the 21^st Century.  

Always remembering Rex, a little boy who wants to make a difference to make SUDC predictable and preventable www.sudc.org/rex

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