At 9 am on Saturday, May 20, Bell Works will host Vienna’s Walk 4 International SUDC Awareness on the sixth annual Vienna’s Day of International SUDC Awareness. Over the last four years, all seven continents were represented in remembering Vienna and increasing SUDC awareness around the globe.
In 2017, healthy Vienna Carly Savino tragically died at two and a half years of age. She fell asleep while watching TV in Holmdel and never woke up. Her death was categorized as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). As a result, Dr. Denise Wunderler, DO, FAOASM, Vienna’s mother, founded her family’s 501(c)3 nonprofit Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness Inc. She, her family and Team Vienna strive to remember Vienna in unique ways while educating the world about her devastating story and SUDC. The indoor international walk and Vienna’s documentary film will be the focus of May 20 and this year.
Participants can support in person at Bell Works or at their location virtually. Wear a Team Vienna shirt or Vienna’s favorite color pink, be active/volunteer/walk/do a good deed, hold a sign with your location and take a picture – then post it on Facebook (tag Denise Wunderler or Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness) or Instagram (@teamvienna4sudcawareness) #Viennasday, or email to TeamVienna2018@yahoo.com. Your picture could be in Vienna’s documentary film this year!
“There is power in numbers, and that’s why the Holmdel community and our friends and supporters around the world are so important to our special mission. We miss Vienna infinitely, and we feel her loss every single day. It’s truly still hard to believe she’s gone. We want everyone to never forget our youngest daughter,” Wunderler said.
SUDC is the category of death in kids 1 to 18 years old, when there’s no explanation after a thorough investigation. SUDC is SIDS Part 2, as SIDS occurs in babies less than 1 year old. Even Vienna’s genetic studies (as part of four separate research projects across the country) did not reveal a cause of death. Shockingly, SUDC is scarcely known in the medical community or general public. Vienna’s parents are both physicians, and they never heard of SUDC until it happened to them.
Vienna should be 8 years old. She died more than five years ago, and there is still no cause for her unexpected and sudden death. Wunderler, her family and Team Vienna are driven to change this.
Team Vienna is currently raising funds for Vienna’s documentary film to continue to share her story around the world while educating about SUDC, to inspire research and discussion about this unknown medical tragedy – ultimately to uncover causes and prevent this from happening to other families. They are thankful for all thoughtful donations, and especially Carol Stillwell and Stillwell-Hansen, who are helping to make Vienna’s film a reality.
The two-mile inoor walk, with on location filming (Marko Albrecht), will begin at 9 am with a welcome by Wunderler and her family and a group picture. There will be a video call with friends in Nepal to kick off Vienna’s special event.
Every registered walker will receive a shirt, tickets for drawings (must be present to win) and a delicious Waffle Cabin NJ treat and a swag bag. Incredible Soundz Entertainment will energize walkers with DJ tunes, and later Mike and Sam will play acoustic guitars. Check out other worlds at OasisVRX, Booskerdoo Coffee & Baking Co. (Vienna cookie), and Oink and Moo BBQ & Burgers (Vienna burger) for walk day specials, and beautiful Vienna roses compliments of Enchanted Blossoms. Balloon animals will further entertain the kids.
T-shirt pickup is available on Saturday, May 13 from 1 to 6 pm at OasisVRX or the day of the walk.
Register online at vienna.team or on site before the walk.
If you liked this article, then please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
