On February 12, 2016, Albert and Maria DiGuilio put their almost

two-year-old twins to bed as part of their normal nightly routine. Never did they think that when they put their beautiful, happy babies to sleep that one of them would not be alive in the morning.

 

Lucas DiGuilio, a beautiful, healthy, 22-month-old boy, passed away in his sleep that night. When Albert went to wake him in the morning, he was gone. Since he was over the age of one year, his passing is not considered SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), but instead was ruled Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). SUDC occurs when an apparently healthy child beyond the age of 12 months dies without warning and without cause. The family was left with no answers as to why their precious son had died.

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Soon after their loss, the DiGuilio family learned of the SUDC Foundation, the only organization focusing on sudden unexplained death in childhood. Being able to talk to other families who experienced SUDC helped them feel less alone. They knew they had to do something to help those affected by SUDC and would make every effort to support the research efforts of the SUDC Foundation in hopes of finding a reason behind SUDC.

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Lyrics for Lucas was born out of the need for the DiGuilio family to heal and spread healing to others. Through funding for research, grants for familes, scholarships for siblings of SUDC victims, and raising public awareness of SUDC, it is their hope to provide solace to those who have lost children to SUDC and ultimately prevent families in the future from having to experience such devastating loss.