Hi,

My name is Tracy Weeks and I am the coordinator of family services as well as a member of the board of the Arizona SIDS Alliance. I was elected to the board exactly 2 years after my daughter’s sudden death. Jenica Lynn was our third child and only daughter. My husband Scott and I hesitantly attended our first support group meeting only 3 weeks after Jeni’s death. Still numb from shock and grief, I thought we were the only people in the world who had ever been struck with such a deep pain. We found ourselves surrounded by other parents who had survived the unexpected death of their babies not only to SIDS but to many other causes as well. They gave us hope that we too would survive and I am eternally grateful. We decided then that we wanted to try to put our energy into helping other parents in the only way we could, by sharing our story and listening to theirs just as these caring parents had done for us.

Our goal in family services is to reach out to all newly bereaved families throughout Arizona and offer support. With the help of a generous donation of 100 “SIDS Survival Guides” provided by Ron and Kristie Knudsen in the memory of their son Corey James, we are able to provide each new family with a packet that includes a book, newsletter, and support group information. A dedicated chain of communication from the Medical Examiners office to the Alliance has been established in Maricopa and Pima counties which has allowed us to offer support to many suffering families. Emergency rooms and funeral homes have been receiving our support group and peer contact information to hand out so that parents know that there are others out there who have also felt the pain of losing a baby. We have made great strides in family services lately, but we still have a lot to do.

We are always looking for family stories, poems, pictures, and information to add to our newsletter. If you are interested in submitting anything, please E-mail it to me at familysvcs@azsids.org or call me at (602) 433-SIDS or 1-800-597-SIDS.

Thank you,

Tracy Weeks
ASA Board Member, Family Services
Mommy to our angel, Jenica Lynn (4/23/98- 6/19/98)