Last December, good friends of ours, Bryn and Tash, sadly experienced the unimaginable loss of their beautiful son, Otis, who passed away suddenly a few months before his 3rd birthday. He was healthy and happy, having enjoyed a normal day at nursery, but quietly passed away during the night. Despite a full investigation, no cause was found.

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is the unexpected death of a child aged 1-18 years that remains unexplained. This shockingly occurs to 1-2 seemingly healthy children every fortnight, often going to sleep and never waking up. There is very little research or resources to help parents get the answers they deserve and to prevent this from happening to more families in the future. Compared to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which affects children under 1 year old), SUDC is significantly underfunded and relies heavily on charities, a reality acknowledged by parliament as recently as March 2026.

SUDC UK is a registered charity that has supported Bryn and Tash and many other families who have faced the same heartbreak. In addition to awareness and family support, they fund vital research to help answer questions that so many families are left with and to work towards a future where such tragedies can be understood, predicted and prevented.

To raise awareness and funds for SUDC UK, I will attempt to complete Otis’ home town Robin Hood Half Marathon on September 27th followed by Athens Full Marathon on Sunday 8th November. The latter is the most old school of courses, starting in the small town of Marathon, heading consistently uphill to the city of Athens. A quick google cheerily offers: “It is perhaps the most difficult major marathon race: the course is uphill from the 10 km mark to the 31 km mark – the toughest uphill climb of any major marathon“, which sounds just perfect for someone with bad achilles and a reconstructed knee. Nonetheless, determination will be high with “Otis” on my top and channeling all the best vibes from his fun, laughter filled life to hopefully do him, his big brother Carter, Tash and Bryn, proud.

Whether you donate, or simply help spread awareness and tell people about SUDC, your support will mean so much.

Tom