SUDC Awareness Month: Jackson’s Story

Owlet Cares is our advocacy initiative that is dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of babies and parents. One way we do this is by partnering with nonprofits all over the world who share our mission. These groups participate in our 3:1 match program. When they purchase one Owlet product, we match it with two, meaning three families are reached.

Each month, we shine a spotlight on one of our foundation partners and the important work they are doing. This month, in honor of SUDC Awareness Month, we’d like to introduce you to the founder of the Jackson Walsh Foundation and Jackson’s mom. 

In her words, here is her story. 

By: Kelsey Walsh

On February 28, 2020, at 2:50 a.m., my world came to a screeching halt. At the time, my
oldest daughter was very sick with a virus, so I had set an alarm to check on her every
three hours to make sure her temperature didn’t spike overnight. I checked on her at
midnight, and I also checked on my son, Jackson, because his temperature was 99°F and I was worried he might catch whatever she had.

When I checked on him again at 2:50 a.m., his temperature was 97.6°F. I then checked to
see if he was breathing—and that’s when I realized he wasn’t. I grabbed him and ran to
my room to wake my husband, desperately trying to wake him and begging for Jackson
to be okay. We immediately called 911, and the operator guided my husband through
CPR until EMS arrived.

I ran downstairs to wait outside with my three-year-old because I didn’t want the
ambulance to miss our house. I waited outside, hoping they would arrive in time to help
Jackson. After working on him for about an hour, they told us that he was gone.

Jackson was a happy, healthy 17-month-old boy who loved deeply. He was such a little
lover, with the best laugh. He adored his family, his pacifiers, golf, being outside with his
sister, and riding his scooter. We were left with no answers as to why Jackson died,
which eventually led us to the SUDC Foundation - Sudden Unexplained Death of a Child.
SUDC is a category of death affecting children between the ages of 1 and 18 months that
remains unexplained even after a thorough investigation.*

After Jackson died, I couldn’t sleep. I was constantly checking on my oldest daughter,
terrified and repeatedly making sure she was breathing. I soon realized that the Owlet Dream Sock® gave me the peace of mind I needed to sleep again. In May 2020, my husband and I founded The Jackson Walsh Foundation to raise awareness for SUDC and to provide Owlet Dream Sock monitors to as many families as possible so we can share the peace of mind we experienced.

Through our nonprofit, we support grieving families, provide Owlet Dream Sock
monitors to those in need, fund genetic research related to SUDC, offer books to grieving
children, fund a children's grief group through SUDC, send memorial gifts to families
who have lost a child, help support local children in need and share additional resources
to help families navigate some of their most difficult moments.

Author Bio: 

Kelsey Walsh is married to her husband Peter Walsh and they have four children. They
started The Jackson Walsh Foundation shortly after their son, Jackson, died at 17 months
in 2020. The foundation provides support to grieving families in various ways, funds
SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood) research and helps provide Owlet 
Dream Sock monitors to families in need.

The quotes, stories, and experiences included here are those of the individuals and are not representative of Owlet's views or claims about our product. Individuals were not paid and did not submit their information as part of any paid promotion by Owlet.

As a reminder, Dream Sock® is intended to track babies’ pulse rate and oxygen level and keep parents informed, but it is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or other condition including, but not limited to, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and/or Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Medical decisions should never be made solely using Dream Sock data. Dream Sock should not substitute for the care and oversight of an adult or consultation with medical professionals. Individual experiences vary.