A MESSAGE FROM Stacey Hametz
On November 3, 2024, I will run the NYC marathon for the fourth time. This run is the most meaningful of all of my races, as I am running in honor of Zaid Nesheiwat to raise awareness and money for SUDC, and keep Zaid’s memory alive. On May 4, 2016, Zaid went to sleep and never woke up. No cause of death could be determined, and his death is classified as SUDC.
Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children between the ages of 1 and 18 that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including an autopsy. SUDC is estimated to affect 1.4 of every 100,000 children in the US each year, and while rare, it is still the 4th leading category of death among toddlers aged 1-4.
Zaid is the son of my dear friends, Sarah and Sharif. He was a happy, healthy two-and-a-half-year-old boy. He loved books and the character Curious George. He especially loved attending music class and playing on his toy guitar. And he was smart and so very funny.
My favorite Zaid story is when he locked Sarah out of the house. She went to the mailbox just a few feet from the front door and he took it upon himself to mischievously click the lock. He was so amused as he looked at his mom from the window, smiling and waving as she tried to figure out how to get back in. While this is my favorite story, there are many from his short life. The collection of memories of all who loved little Zaid is what inspires me to dedicate my marathon run to raise donations in his name for SUDC.
Thank you for helping me raise money for SUDC and for keeping Zaid's memory alive.
