Aeron’s Foundation was established in May 2018 after James and Jennifer lost their son, Aeron, to Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) on James’ birthday in February of 2018. It was founded with the purpose of equipping families with resources to prevent SUID and to support those directly affected by such loss.
Aeron’s Foundation is unique because our goal is not only to increase community awareness of infant safe sleep practices, but also to support families who have also suffered from this tragedy. Several specific means of support include:
1) providing financial assistance for funeral services through an application process.
2) providing a route to explore familial genetic testing and counseling, particularly in cases in which multiple family members have died of unknown causes, or if the Medical Examiner’s Office has determined there to be a particular cause of death that may benefit from further genetic evaluation.
3) providing resources for surviving siblings, with age-appropriate recommendations for parents on how to explain death to a child. We are also in the process of completing a children’s book specifically targeted for surviving siblings, with ideas on how to remember and continue their relationship with a loved one who is no longer physically present.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) are the most common causes of death in children under the age of 1 year. While this tragedy is not always preventable, many cases are. We hope to educate families on the “SAFE TO SLEEP” Public Education Campaign led by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to prevent this tragedy from ever occurring. But, in the cases where tragedy strikes, we would like to be there to offer up a small amount of support and emotional relief for families during this terrible experience.