Simon Sudman was born on October 21, 2004. He was the second child of Phyllis and Darren Sudman. His sister, Sally, was two.
Simon was a seemingly healthy baby boy. He weighed almost seven pounds and had an APGAR scores of eight and nine. He was in the 50th percentile for weight and the 25th for height.
Every few hours, he’d finish a bottle (except for a four-hour stretch overnight). Simon smiled for the first time when he was seven weeks old. He died 47 days later.
At first, his cause of death was believed to be sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a typical conclusion when a baby dies suddenly and unexpectedly.
What happened next is the reason that Simon’s Heart is here today. Simon’s pediatrician told Phyllis and Darren to have their hearts checked, since unknown causes can be passed from parents to children. They wanted to know if Simon’s death could have been heart-related, and they were worried about Sally.
Phyllis was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), an arrhythmia that can cause fainting and sudden death. This condition has been linked to up to 15% of all SIDS deaths and is one of several conditions that cause sudden cardiac arrest in children.
There is not much more to share about Simon. He died much too soon. Hopefully, his short life can help improve the lives of other kids.