Family hosts race in honor of infant son
Maws Cause
Ben was born and raised in Norris, and they currently live just outside of Norris Dam State Park. The couple has made it their life’s work to educate others about SIDS.
“Normally, a son carries on your legacy,” Brittanie said, echoing something Ben has told her before. “This time we will carry on his.”
Mason was four months and four days old when he went down for a nap at daycare, but didn’t wake up.
“They couldn’t find anything physically wrong with him after an autopsy and investigation,” Brittanie said. “It’s a medical mystery. And it’s very frustrating.”
She and Ben travel throughout the year educating people about safe sleeping practices using material provided by the American Association of Pediatrics.
This is the second year the couple has put on the race in Norris. They formed a nonprofit in August of last year and organized the race by mid-October. The proceeds of the race go, in part, toward swaddle packs that the Weavers bring to Tennova Hospital.
The packs include information on safe sleeping for new parents.
They also give baby monitors to low-income families who have previously lost a child or if their baby is medically needy.
They also financially support the Roberts Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, which studies SIDS. The number of SIDS cases are rising, according to Brittanie. They went down for a while, but now they’re starting to increase again.
According to the CDC, there were about 3,600 cases of “sudden unexpected infant deaths,” with 1,500 of those attributed to SIDS, 1,200 from unknown causes and 900 due to accidental strangulation or suffocation.
“Creating the foundation gave us something positive to funnel our energy toward when he passed away,” she said. “It gives us a good focus. And we know we’re doing good in the community and in his name. We hope to save a life out of it.”
It’s very therapeutic, according to Brittanie, and there has been an unexpected element to it as well: other families who have lost children to SIDS have reached out to her for support.
“I didn’t expect that at first, but it’s actually very hard to find parents, especially moms, that can talk about it,” she said.
On race day, there will be a ceremony to honor the children who are represented that day. Anyone who has been affected by SIDS is invited to come and honor their loved ones.
For more information, visit mawcause.org.
