It was a great pleasure to meet with Sarah Grogan, who many parents will know from her role as a teacher at The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School in Appleton, who came to Parliament to be part of an event to raise awareness about Sudden and Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).
Tragically, Sarah’s 3 year old little boy Frankie died suddenly from a rare brain condition in early 2019. Frankie had gone to bed as normal but didn’t wake the following morning. After her son's death, Sarah set up Friends of Frankie to raise funds for charity SUDC UK.
One of the things Sarah and SUDC UK wanted to highlight was the need for more consistent bereavement support across the country for parents who suffer the sudden loss of a child. Sarah told me how it felt very unfair because at Frankie's inquest the medical professionals that were called were legally represented, but her family didn't have any representation and if they wanted to ask questions they had to ask it themselves without having been through such a formal process at a time when you’re grieving. I’ve now raised the need for great support with the Minister responsible for the coroners court.
I am pleased that SUDC UK were able to host their first event in Parliament to mark the launch of SUDC Awareness Day. It was an extremely poignant afternoon as bereaved parents came together to share their stories. SUDC UK do so much important work to raise the profile of the issue and provide valuable support for families.
