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Charlie Paul Hanke
Turning a tragic loss into a catalyst for change
Sam and Maura Hanke's world was turned upside when they lost their newborn son, Charlie, to SIDS at just three weeks old. Despite being diligent and prepared, the tragedy struck them hard. As a pediatric cardiologist and kindergarten teacher, they realized that this could happen to anyone and decided to take action to prevent it from happening to other families.
Charlie's 1st Birthday
Charlie's Gift - Saving Babies
Charlie's Kids Foundation was established on what would have been Charlie's first birthday, to honor his memory and prevent other parents from experiencing the same loss.
The foundation combines medical expertise and personal experience to educate parents and the medical community about SIDS and safe sleep. Through various initiatives, including a children's book, a video series and partnerships with organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, Charlie's Kids is dedicated to helping parents protect their babies with safe sleep practices.
The core of their work lies in the continuous passion and dedication to the range of projects they take part in.
Please join us by supporting our efforts to make a meaningful difference in helping all babies live to their first birthday.
More than 3,000 babies per year in the U.S. die from SIDS. Every three hours we lose a baby to unsafe sleep.
Our mission is to help every baby reach their first birthday.
Our Why
Every Two Hours an Infant Dies Due to Unsafe Sleep.
Every single year, infant sleep-related death kills more children under-18-year-old American kids than car accidents, suicides, guns or drug overdoses combined.
These deaths are preventable.
These precious babies are our why.