SIDS and Kids was established 40 years ago so that no other family would experience what founder Kaarene Fitzgerald and her family did, when their son and brother Glenn, aged 8 months, died from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
SIDS was considered a medical mystery back then but through funding vital research and education, we’ve successfully reduced SIDS by 80% in Australia, saving over 9,000 little lives in the process. But our work cannot stop here.
We now have a new and bigger challenge – to tackle all sudden and unexpected deaths in babies from 20 weeks’ gestation to four years of age. This means understanding why late term stillbirth and other sudden, accidental deaths such as drownings, poisonings and road accidents occur as well as continuing to explore the root cause of SIDS.
But, how do you fight something you don’t understand? You fight to understand it.
That’s why we pledge to find a solution to eliminate all preventable deaths in babies and small children.
Our target is zero.
From today we pledge to continue funding research and education into the causes of all sudden, unexplained and preventable childhood deaths in Australia, doing everything in our power to find the answers that will keep your child safe.
And with this new mission, we’ve decided to change our name. We are no longer SIDS and Kids. From today, we are Red Nose and our mission is to create a future where no baby or child dies suddenly and unexpectedly.
That’s our pledge to you.