A Death in the Family

By Jay Mihalko, SIDS sibling

"Oh my gosh! This can't be happening!" I can still hear those words ringing through my head. They were shouted when my Mom and Dad found my baby sister, Meg, dead in her crib. I was ten years old when Meg died at 38 days old.

After an autopsy was performed on Meg, we found out she had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. Doctors haven't found out what causes SIDS, or how it can be stopped.

Since the death of my sister, I've learned that things, good or bad, in life don't last forever. I've also learned to live life to its fullest, and when faced with a problem, bring it out into the open. Don't try to keep your problems inside yourself. Stick together and talk with your family, because a loving and supportive family is the most important thing you'll ever have.

Jay's sister, Meg, died of SIDS on October 23, 1989.