Remembering Devin

Four years ago today, my sister's seven-month-old son Devin was put down for his afternoon nap and never woke up. There are moments in your life that you remember so vividly and May 24, 2005 is one of those days for me. I'll never forget seeing all those missed calls on my cell phone and my grandmother answering my parents phone and then hearing two words that still echo in my ear, "Devin's dead." Months later the autopsy report listed SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) as the cause. We've since learned that SIDS is often listed as the cause when no other logical explanation can be determined. It's an acronym for "we do not know."

My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced the loss of a child. Unfortunately, this sadness has touched both sides of mine and Mike's family with Devin's death and then our niece Allison on July 8, 2007. We pray that we never know another family that has to suffer the loss that we've endured with our families.

In Loving Memory of Devin Joseph Allen

October 19, 2004 - May 24, 2005
"We held you in our arms for such a short time
but we'll hold you in our hearts forever."

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?
A lack of answers is part of what makes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) so frightening. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old, and claims the lives of about 2,500 each year in the United States. It remains unpredictable despite years of research.

As the name implies, SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant who is younger than 1 year old. It's a frightening prospect because it can strike without warning, usually in seemingly healthy babies. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep (hence the common reference to "crib death") and infants who die of SIDS show no signs of suffering.

While most conditions or diseases usually are diagnosed by the presence of specific symptoms, most SIDS diagnoses come only after all other possible causes of death have been ruled out through a review of the infant's medical history and environment. This review helps distinguish true SIDS deaths from those resulting from accidents, abuse, and previously undiagnosed conditions, such as cardiac or metabolic disorders.

For the full article, please visit Kids Health