Tuesday, August 18, 2020

The SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative


Dedicated to helping others by contributing to and volunteering in charities, Mercia Grant participated in events to raise awareness and fund researches on Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) in 2012 and 2018. Both events were in memory of Lily Mercia Sateriale, the granddaughter of Mercia Grant. They raised funds for the SUDC Foundation.


A category of death that occurs with people between 1 and 18 years of age, SUDC is characterized by a sudden passing that cannot be explained after investigation. The SUDC Foundation was officially created in 2014 to increase research on SUDC, support families affected, and promote awareness.

One way the foundation helps with research is by granting funds to the SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative (SUDCRRC), which aims to increase the understanding of the causes and risk factors of SUDC to develop preventive options. To do that, SUDCRRC analyses cases by reviewing the child's death and their family and medical history. Another part of the process is to perform neuropathology evaluations, neuroimaging, and genetic analysis on the child who passed away.

The parent or guardian of the child could participate in the SUDCRRC if the child had 11 months through 18 years of age when they died unexpectedly. Cases of an apparent homicide, suicide, or accident are excluded.