SUDC UK’S MISSION

Action to Stop Children Dying Without Explanation

SUDC UK is a registered, national charity dedicated to raising awareness, funding research and supporting families affected by Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) – Charity Number 1175413.     

SUDC is the sudden and unexpected death of a child aged 1-18 years where the cause of death remains unexplained after a thorough investigation. 40 children are affected every year in England and Wales alone. This is more than young deaths due to traffic accidents, fires or drowning and comparable to 1-2  seemingly healthy children dying every fortnight, often going to sleep and never waking up.   

There is limited awareness and research to understand SUDC and currently, no-one can predict or prevent these deaths. They continue to devastate families year on year.    

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood  is one of the most under-recognised medical tragedies of our time.  Please help us take action to stop children dying without explanation by donating or contacting us today. 

 

Our Mission

  • To encourage and fund crucial medical research to better understand these tragedies.
  • To support families affected by SUDC.
  • To improve awareness and understanding of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED DEATH IN CHILDHOOD (SUDC) UK 2022-2024 STRATEGY

The story of founding SUDC UK

SUDC UK co-founders Camilla Gooden, Helen Charalambous and Nikki Speed met in March 2016 following the deaths of their children Rex, Yianni and Rosie. Their loved, happy, thriving children had been seemingly healthy, yet had died during sleep, suddenly and unexpectedly.
Incredible national charities existed with a focus on baby-loss. However, as their children were older they felt isolated and frustrated. There was a clear need for a charity to advocate for families like theirs, to improve awareness of SUDC, connect families and link them to an organisation with expertise in this type of bereavement. They were also each determined that research should be encouraged and funded to help prevent other children from dying this way in the future.
Passionate for change, a small group of like-minded parents met in London in the spring of 2016, and with their help and support Camilla, Helen and Nikki used their complementary skills from previous jobs (in communications, finance and science) to learn more about this field from a professional point of view, and to plan SUDC UK’s mission and to execute this.
In October 2017, SUDC UK registered with the charity commission and agreed an affiliation with the SUDC Foundation, an established, global organisation whose purpose is to promote awareness, advocate for research, and support those affected by SUDC. The SUDC Foundation has been a great help to the three bereaved mothers and its co-founder is also a founding member of the SUDC UK board.
This picture of the first family day in 2019 represented a milestone for SUDC UK and a personal milestone for its co-founders:
  • Families are no longer isolated. Instead, there is a united and growing community of inspiring, supportive families who share a deep understanding of SUDC and it’s associated challenges
  • The voice of our families is growing in strength and reach as SUDC UK advocates for their needs
  • SUDC UK is granting funds to research and works to encourage collaboration between academics with expertise in this area
Nearly 5 years since registering SUDC UK, with increasing time, support and resources, we are more ambitious than ever. We could not be more grateful for everyone’s help on this journey. We will continue to shine their light ion SUDC, for them all.