Posted on 11/28/2017 9:27:41 AM PST by azkathy
An unpredictable public health concern is being highlighted in Terre Haute and other Hoosier communities in honor of a local toddler who died in 2014.
Allison Jean Hescher died at age 16 months in her crib at home. An autopsy and investigation revealed no known cause of death for the little girl, leading to the category of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, or SUDC.
Now, her mother, Karen Hescher, is bringing the SUDC Banner Project to the area to spread awareness and share the SUDC Foundation’s support and advocacy for families who have experienced the sudden, unexpected death of their children.
“SUDC touched my life on May 2, 2014, when I found my happy and healthy 16 1/2-month-old daughter Allison dead in her crib,” Hescher said. “There was no warning sign. This was totally unexpected, shocking, devastating.”
The banner features photos of children who have died suddenly without a known cause. It has been displayed at fire departments, hospitals, clinics, restaurants and sports venues in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England and elsewhere.
SUDC is not new, but it is rare, according to the SUDC Foundation. It occurs in about 1.4 deaths per 100,000 children.
While many people are aware of SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in infants younger than 12 months – the public is often unaware of SUDC, which affects about 400 children per year through age 19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014 SUDC affected 202 children ages 1 to 4 years, another 25 children ages 5 to 9 years, 29 children ages 10 to 14, and 87 teenagers 15 to 19.
When Allison died, a thorough investigation of her home, room, crib and family history was done, as was an autopsy.
Medical examiner Roland Kohr, a forensic pathologist at Regional Hospital, conducted the autopsy. He told the Tribune-Star that despite multiple tests, a cause for the little girl’s death could not be determined.
“It’s a tragedy any time a child dies,” Kohr said. “You look as hard as you can for an answer, and sometimes you come up with an answer, and sometimes you don’t.”
It is common for a family whose child dies to want to know why, he said. Having an undetermined cause of death leaves many questions unanswered.
Allison’s death was particularly hard for many staff at Regional Hospital, where her mother is a registered nurse and coordinator of quality resource management.
Allison was born at Regional Hospital on Dec. 15, 2012, so Hescher feels it is appropriate that the hospital is one of the locations where the banner will be displayed.
“Allison was a delightful little girl. She was always smiling and happy,” her mother said. “She loved to be babied. She loved to suck her thumb, loved her daddy and loved to be held.”
Hescher said she last saw her little girl alive about 1:30 in the morning on May 2, 2014.
“I went to her room, patted down her wispy blonde hair, looked into her bright blue eyes, and told her everything was going to be okay, never realizing that was the last time I would ever see her alive,” Hescher said. “She was in no distress, sucking her thumb contentedly.”
The autopsy estimated her time of death as 3 a.m.
Hescher said the SUDC Foundation was helpful for her family in the weeks after the little girl’s death. They helped with a fully funded DNA research project as part of the search for the cause of death.
Kohr said sometimes a death is caused by an illness or disease that is yet unknown. DNA testing can be helpful with research that could lead to a diagnosis in the future.
For now, Hescher is trying to schedule as many venues as possible to display the SUDC banner to raise awareness.
It is already scheduled to appear Thursday and Friday at Raggedy Ann’s Day Care and Preschool, where Allison attended; at the Terre Haute Children’s Museum on Dec. 2 and 3; and in the lobby at Regional Hospital on Dec. 4 and 5.
Hescher has requested a display of the banner at ISU’s Hulman Center, Lucas Oil Stadium for a Colts game, Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a Pacers game, at Mackey Arena for a Purdue basketball game and at other locations. It will be available until Dec. 18, when she will return the banner to travel with the next family who has requested it.
Hescher said she is thankful Allison was part of her family, and it has become her mission to spread SUDC awareness until answers can be found.
“I am so thankful for the 503 days Allison spent with us on earth,” Hescher said. “She brought so much joy to our family. She has taught us important life lessons – to love unconditionally, in life and in death.”
Lisa Trigg can be reached at 812-231-4254 or at lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter at
I’m so sad for your loss, azkathy.
Hopefully, research can be a preventive tool rather than a blame game; unexplained child death may be preventable.
Anecdotal stories are not data
All children have vaccines. A minuscule amount of children die from SIDS/SUDC. You may as well blame milk or diapers.
“”It’s been around for a fairly long time. Administrators get decide who gets a pay out””
AND very rarely granted. Congress also has never done its job to open this up for discussion and clamp down on the secrecy surrounding it.
Thank you and there’s no way to comprehend the grief and pain you’ve suffered losing a little one like that. It has to be near insurmountable. The best of luck to you in your quest for calling attention to it..
Incorrect
Sixteen thousand plus cases have been heard. One third have been awarded damages. That’s no where near rare
“”All children have vaccines””
Not true....
Read here for a better understanding
This is the case that brought awareness to the public of the vaccine damages program. It caused so much publicity, that the issue couldn’t be ignored any longer. I don’t see a source for your 16,000 cases - 1/3 awarded damages...
Drug manufacturers had to be dragged screaming and yelling to even get the court established.
https://thetruthisbrighter.weebly.com/settlement-cases-—vaccine-injury.html
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hanna Poling
“Finding of Entitlement - Damages Decision: MMR Vaccine and Thimerosal Containing Vaccines (led to) Autism Spectrum Disorder” Hannah Poling Concession
It is important to discuss some of the issues surround the Hannah Poling case. Firstly, Hannah’s parents are both Western Medical Practitioners. Hannah Poling’s Father is a Medical Doctor and her Mother is a Registered Nurse. They were advocates of Vaccination, up until the day that their little girl received her “catch up” vaccinations, nine shots in one day.
The very next day her Mother knew something was very wrong, and knew that their daughter’s deteriorating health was a direct result of Vaccine Injury. A prognosis of Autism later, coupled with many hours of intensive therapy, a law suit, and finally a settlement later - these people have showed publicly that in certain circumstances a Vaccine Injury is validated by Government Agencies and Health Authorities.
~~~~~~~~~However this is not your typical example of compensation for the Vaccine Injured Child. Many others who have suffered a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Seizure Disorders, Brain Injury and other debilitating Immune Disorders and injuries do not have Parents who are able to be legitimately heard for their concerns and assertions about their Vaccine Injured Children. They are often in no way able to financially fight for compensation payouts, they have little evidence other than the direct association that their symptoms began following their Vaccines. You can’t help but feel that the Polings serve as a very important Landmark case - proving that YES Vaccine Injury is directly associated with Autism. They simply cannot be the only ones. The truth is, they may just be one of the very few who have the ability to seek justice and notoriety for the rest of the Injured Children out there who never will achieve any compensation.~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTICE NOT A TYPICAL EXAMPLE!!!!
Claims have been on the increase since the program was established and why do you think that is? People are FINALLY paying attention. I don’t think any of us would be in favor of being in the 10,911 dismissed cases when it has involved our child! 3.6 BILLION over the life of the program isn’t a heck of a lot for 30 years, is it? That’s a drop in the bucket for BIG PHARMA - maybe a month of profits for one company? Why do you think they fought so hard to keep this from being established (and away from public knowledge) and why do you think it was necessary to be established to begin with and Congress having to get involved? They’ve had it all their way for too many years.
From your link - looks good the way you phrased it in your reply but not so good when you have the figures staring at you....
::Since 1988, 18,151 petitions have been filed with the VICP. Of those cases, 16,360 petitions have been adjudicated, with 5,416 of those determined to be compensable, while 10,944 were dismissed.
Total compensation paid over the life of the VICO program is approximately $3.6 billion.::
JUST REMEMBER - we’re talking 30 years!!!!!
You cite a non typical case
Again that is not how science is done
This year there have been 700 Plus claims. Last year there were 1100.
Millions of vaccines are given a year
“”Again that is not how science is done””
If you say so. Kind of like a democrat argument but so be it.
“”You cite a non typical case””
What’s non typical?
“”This year there have been 700 Plus claims. Last year there were 1100.””
The articles themselves cite more claims being filed now than at any other time since the beginning of the program. I don’t write the articles. I think I asked why you thought that was...So you come up with some other figures which tell us nothing!
No, they are not data. That data is verboten.
I know of two families that have the same story in my small circle. Both sudden onset of autism within 10 days of MMR. One started with the shot, he is severely damaged.
No it is not a democrat argument. That is how people who do not understand the scientific method respond. A single no typical case, which are the very words used in your posting, is not the basis for any conclusions
Do you even read what you post? Those were the words used in what you posted
So what? Did you also note that many of the claims are for shoulder pain?
These are not all autism or death or anything else cases. It is the conglomeration.
What can’t you understand? Millions have been vaccinated... A few thousand have filed claims?
That still is not data
you cite two additional families in your circle of friends....were they friends before or after? How long have you known them?
Anecdotal stories are not science.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.