SIDS Educational Services, Inc.

Provides free cribs and crib sheets to low-income families.  Supports professionals and families grieving loss of babies to SIDS and other causes through counseling, books, hotline, referrals, etc.  Promotes risk-reduction research.

Why do we exist?

Our mission is to support families grieving the loss of children to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other infant death causes. We also provide information and support services to children grieving any type of death.

We do this through free peer counseling (by telephone through our national toll-free line 1-877-We-Love-You; through e-mail, and through face to face contact); referral services; speakers; and through publication and distribution of the 320-page book, the SIDS & INFANT DEATH SURVIVAL GUIDE: Information & Comfort for Grieving Family & Friends & Professionals Who Seek to Help Them. This book is now considered the Bible on SIDS and infant death for families experiencing a loss and for professionals who help them.

In addition, we publish and distribute the children's picture book, DANCING ON THE MOON, to help children through grief. We are also currently publishing (in early 2004) the Spanish edition of the SIDS & INFANT DEATH SURVIVAL GUIDE.

What have you accomplished?

Our accomplishments are extremely important to individual bereaved families throughout the world, who receive little no or support in their local area.

Many small towns and regions throughout the world have no SIDS or infant death support facilities. People from these areas who call us are so grateful to have peers to talk with who have personally experienced what they are going through. More than a dozen people we've supported have actually told us that they would have taken their own lives if they had not had our "support group in print," the SIDS & INFANT DEATH SURVIVAL GUIDE. This book has reached at least 100,000 people (through public libraries, support groups, bookstores, emergency response facilities, child care centers, hospitals, pediatric offices, etc.) since its first edition was published in 1994. More than 26,000 copies have been sold or donated.

We have a book sponsorship program whereby individuals and groups are able to buy books at discount (with photo labels in memory of their loved ones) to give out to support groups, libraries, etc.

A major accomplishment of this past year has been having our book, the SIDS & INFANT DEATH SURVIVAL GUIDE, translated into Spanish. The Spanish name is "Cómo Aceptar la Muerte Súbita e Inesperada de un Niño"Subtítulo: "Información y Apoyo para Familias en Proceso de Duelo y para Amigos y Profesionales que Desean Ayudarlos" Our nonprofit is publishing this Spanish edition in early 2004. This fills a very great need in the Spanish-speaking world and among U.S. state SIDS support groups who want to be able to give this book out to newly bereaved Spanish-speaking participants. The publication of this book and its distribution to many low-income people who cannot afford to purchase them is possible largely due to the support of donors through the Combined Federal Campaign and United Way. This is the first comprehensive Spanish-language anthology of writings on SIDS and other infant deaths.

These books are provided at substantial quantity discount to SIDS support groups of state-funded and private SIDS organizations, hospitals, pediatricians, emergency responders, day care facilities, etc.) Free copies are provided to families who cannot afford to purchase them.

We also provide information on SIDS risk reduction and the Back to Sleep campaign to new parents per telephone request and through public displays of information.

In another area, we provide support to children grieving any type of death. We publish the beautifully illustrated (with 14 oil paintings) DANCING ON THE MOON, a coffee table-quality picture book to help children through grief. The rhyming poem that comprises the text of the book was written by Janice John Roper, who lost her son Daniel Calhoun Roper IV to SIDS in 1994. Janice Roper reads and discusses her book with groups in the Washington area and will lead a workshop on helping siblings cope with grief at the SIDS International Conference July 2-6, 2004 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

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