Vienna's Walk 4 SUDC Awareness Happening Saturday In Holmdel

HOLMDEL, NJ — A global event to raise awareness of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) will take place in Holmdel at Bell Works on Saturday.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, Bell Works will host Vienna’s Walk 4 International SUDC Awareness - the sixth annual Vienna’s Day of International SUDC Awareness.

In 2017, Vienna Carly Savino was a healthy toddler who died at just two and a half years of age from what was later determined to be SUDC, her mom, Dr. Denise Wunderler, DO, says.

"She fell asleep while watching TV at home in Holmdel and never woke up again. Her death was categorized as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC)," she said.

Since then Wunderler has founded her family’s nonprofit Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness Inc., and she, her family and Team Vienna remember Vienna in unique ways, while educating the world about Vienna and SUDC.

The two-mile indoor walk is an international event, Wunderler notes. And a documentary film about her daughter will also be a focus of the events.

Here are some of the things supporters can look forward to, she said:

• Documentary filming by Marko Albrecht will begin at 9 a.m. with a welcome by Wunderler and her family and a group picture by Tom Zapcic Photography.
• A video call with friends in Nepal to kick off Vienna’s special event.
• Every registered walker will receive a T-shirt, tickets for drawings (must be present to win) and a waffle compliments of the Waffle Cabin NJ, and a swag bag.
• Incredible Soundz Entertainment will energize walkers with DJ tunes, and later Mike and Sam will play acoustic guitars. Check out OasisVRX, Booskerdoo Coffee & Baking Co. (with a Vienna cookie), and Oink and Moo BBQ & Burgers (and its Vienna burger) for walk day specials, and beautiful Vienna roses compliments of Enchanted Blossoms.

Walkers can register online at www.VIENNA.team (follow to Eventbrite link) or register on May 20 onsite before the walk. For more information, visit https://vienna.team/. On social media, go to Facebook or Instagram.

Global impact

Over the last four years, all seven continents were represented in remembering Vienna and increasing SUDC awareness around the globe, Wundeler says.

And there are many ways to be part of the event globally, she adds. 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 social media such as Facebook (#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 awareness

Wunderler said SUDC is categorized as a cause of death in children one to 18 years old, when there’s no explanation after a thorough investigation. SUDC is SIDS Part 2, Wunderler has said. SIDS occurs in babies younger than one year old.

"Even Vienna’s genetic studies (as part of four separate research projects across the country) did not reveal a cause of death. SUDC is scarcely known in the medical community or the general public," she said, adding that even as physicians, she and her husband had never heard of SUDC until the tragedy.

Vienna should be eight years old, her mother said. "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, she said.

Team Vienna is currently raising funds for a 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.

The family thanked those making donations, especially Carol Stillwell and Stillwell-Hansen, who are helping to make Vienna’s documentary film a reality.

Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Red Bank, NJ. Wunderler, a sports medicine physician and USA Volleyball team physician, founded her family’s nonprofit on what should have been Vienna’s fourth birthday on Jan. 19, 2019.