Aug 12, 2019
Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness Campaign Spans Seven Continents
By Deirdre Flanagan Ward
The Journal featured a story in the May issue about Vienna Carly Savino who passed away at just 2 years old from Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). In recent months, the foundation created in Vienna’s name – Team Vienna 4 SUDC – hosted several fundraisers to grow support and raise awareness for SUDC. Taking the initiative to a larger level, Vienna’s mother and founder of Team Vienna 4 SUDC, Dr. Denise Wunderler, also founded Vienna’s Day of International SUDC Awareness.
Across the globe, friends, family and supporters came together in their community to participate in some sort of activity such as walking, biking, hiking, playing a sport or simply volunteering in honor of Vienna. The 2018 project spanned four continents and was a great success. However, on May 18, 2019, the Team Vienna Movement spanned all seven continents! Locations this year included McMurdo General Hospital in Antarctica; Guinea, Africa; Israel; Toronto, Canada; South Padre Island, Texas; Great Falls, Montana; Northampton, Pennsylvania; Tucson, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; Hawaii; Anchorage, Alaska; San Francisco, California; Bogota, Colombia; Rio de Janiero, Brazil; Liege, Belgium; Dundee, Scotland; Winchester, United Kingdom; Barbados; Dominican Republic; Barcelona, Spain; Dharamkot Dharamshala, India; Kathmandu and Middle Himalaya, Nepal; Mt. Manaslu, Nepal; Perth, Western Australia; Gold Coast City, Australia; Viti Levu Island, Fiji; and local places such as Holmdel, Long Branch and New York City.
Vienna Carly Savino was a healthy child about to turn 3 years old when she fell asleep on Nov. 12, 2017 while watching television at her Holmdel residence and never woke up. After a thorough investigation, including an autopsy, her death was categorized as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood. This is mostly unknown to the medical community since research is scarce and not publicly funded. To honor Vienna, while increasing awareness and research support for SUDC, Vienna’s mother and USA Volleyball team physician, Dr. Denise Wunderler, founded Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness Inc. on what would have been Vienna’s 4th birthday, Jan. 19, 2019.
For more information or to help support the nonprofit, visit TeamViennaSUDC.org. Save the date for next year’s Vienna’s Day of International SUDC Awareness on Saturday, May 16, 2020.
