A MESSAGE FROM Rachel's Team Audrey Fundraising Page
My daughter, Audrey Marie Bultmann, was born March 8, 2011. Audrey was sweet and quirky and loved everyone that she came into contact with. If you were lucky enough to get an aggressive Audrey hug, you were loved. She was joyful, loved video games, swimming, and playing chase. She loved all animals; especially cats and horses. In her last year she started playing softball and loved it! She fiercely loved her family and there was no place she'd rather be than home. She had a special spot on the couch and her chair at our dining room table. I think she ate a popsicle every day of her life. Her laugh could fill a room. Audrey was simply the heart of our home.
On December 26th, 2019 she had a great day. She rode her scooter around Lake Ella, she climbed trees, she rode her hover board. We had a wonderful dinner with our extended family. My husband gave her a piggy back ride to bed that night. The last time I saw her alive she was on her bed with her two sisters and dad belly laughing. Craig sang Amazing Grace and said prayers with her. She never woke up. She lived 8 years. 9 months, and 19 days.
Audrey died suddenly and unexplainably in her sleep on December 27th, 2019. Doctors, medical examiners, and investigators have no answers. Her autopsy was completely clean. Every organ was perfect.
This classification of death is a mystery known as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, or SUDC. It is similar to SIDS, but much less common and occurs in children 12 months to 18 years old. We had never heard of SUDC until Audrey died.
There is presently no federal funding for SUDC research, even though there are over 400 SUDC deaths a year in children over the age of 1.
In honor of Audrey, I will be running the NYC Marathon and fundraising for the SUDC Foundation. The SUDC community has been so supportive to me and my family. I would have been lost without this community of families. It is my desire for SUDC to be widely recognized like SIDS and to receive the same funding. I've lost count from the number of physicians, friends, family, and members of my community who have never heard SUDC.
Learning to walk this road of grief has been my greatest challenge of my life. I choose to get up each day to serve the Lord and find joy amongst all of the sadness. It will be an honor to run for Audrey and the other SUDC kiddos.
Thank you for honoring Audrey and our mission of education, funding research, and supporting The SUDC Foundation. Learn more about SUDC at www.sudc.org
Anchored In Christ,
Rachel Bultmann
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