Charlie Edy was born a couple of weeks earlier than expected, on 9 July 2006. He weighed just under 6lbs and had a full head of hair, more than his father ever had - but inherited his chin! Charlie was Richard's first child and even though he was born earlier than expected, he was perfectly healthy.听 Father's love Richard describes Charlie as all he ever wanted:听"I'd always wanted a little boy. "He was precious and I loved everything about him." Before his own son came along, Richard had been told by family and friends that 'you fall in love with your children when you first see them'. It was a concept he didn't believe until it happened to him: "It's really true - I literally fell in love with him the moment I saw him. "He was just absolutely adorable, he was beautiful." Charlie was a good baby; he hardly ever cried, had started to sleep through the night, was a fast developer and was moving onto solids. He weighed just over 11lbs almost three months later and the doctor and midwives were pleased with his progress. This made it hard for his parents, Richard and Victoria, to understand what happened next. Just three months later, on 12 October 2006, Charlie passed away. In Richard's own words: "He was just another Victim of SIDS [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome]."
 | | "Everyone who saw him fell in love with him" |
Around seven babies die from SIDS a week. The cause of death is unexplained and no single cause has ever been identified. There has been ongoing research into the likely causes and factors, and there is advice for parents to follow, but it cannot prevent cot death from happening. This is something Richard, like other parents in his situation, is desperate to change.听 Night of loss Everything seemed normal on the day Charlie passed away. Richard had come home from work and put Charlie to bed at around 9pm. Richard went to check on him at 1am and to give him a feed. As he looked into the cot, Charlie was just lying there like he was fast asleep, but he was cold and unresponsive. Richard instantly knew something was wrong. He grabbed Charlie, took him downstairs and tried to resuscitate him but nothing happened. Richard called an ambulance and Charlie was rushed to hospital听but pronounced dead on arrival. "When they confirmed he was gone it felt like your heart and soul had just been ripped out of you. "Even months on, I've still got all this emotional pain which I cannot figure out because I haven't got the physical scars." Following Charlie's death, his parents had to attend police interviews and be videod as part of the routine investigation into an unexplained death. | "If Charlie can see this, I want him to know his dad loves him so much and I'll never forget him." | | Richard Edy |
Richard saw Charlie at the mortuary shortly after and 12 hours later was ringing everyone he knew to pass on the sad news. He says he felt he had to tell them without understanding why and was later found curled up in a ball clutching Charlie's teddy bear in tears. Aftermath Richard is the moderator of an unofficial Gillingham messageboard and one of the first things he did was post a message informing fellow supporters of his loss. It was also the first thing he did when Charlie was born. A couple of days after posting the message, he had received over 100 messages of support from friends across the country which inspired him to raise money in Charlie's name. He also looked up cot death on the internet and found details for the Foundation for Study of Infant Deaths. He called a 24-hour helpline which is manned by other parents who have been through the same experience. Richard says the Foundation gave him invaluable support. He was given advice on how to deal with his grief and given a telephone charge card so he could call them at any time, anywhere, free of charge. After speaking to them he was even more determined to do something in his son's name and raise money for research into the causes of cot death. In Memory Richard wanted to do something so Charlie's memory would live on as he didn't want his son to be just another statistic. He describes Charlie as a 'funny little character who used to pull the stupidest little faces'.
 | | "He was precious and I loved everything about him" |
"He was a cheeky personality who looked strangely at people with a glint in his eye and that dimple in his chin. "There was something about him, everyone who saw him fell in love with him at first sight." Richard's aim is to change people's minds about the perception and awareness of cot death. Reading about Charlie's death may make people think it is just another death and next time it happens they will think the same again which is why Richard is telling his story. The fundraising cause has also helped him cope with his loss and take positive action. He also wants to make the foundation (FSID) prominent in people's minds: "There are other worthwhile causes but this is equally worthwhile." The appeal to date has raised over 拢5,000 and Richard is hoping to double that figure. So far, one Gillingham supporter has already applied to run the London marathon in Charlie's name and a charity auction is being held at Gillingham football club on 25 November. Richard says he has been overwhelmed by the response to his appeal and the support he has received: "If Charlie can see this, I want him to know his dad loves him so much and I'll never forget him." | 
