Local families celebrate lost loved ones with SIDS walk

WASHINGTON - Bubbles filled the air to celebrate the memory of children who have died during the annual SIDS Walk in Washington's Sunset Park on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Tony and Tricia Lipski, of Washington, participated in a couple of walks before deciding to bring one to the Washington area. In 2005, they lost their son, Jacob, to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) after being alive only 18 days.

According to the Iowa SIDS Foundation website, SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies between one month and one year of age and in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available, it claimed the life of more than 2,000 babies. This marks the 20th overall year for the Iowa SIDS foundation and the 13th annual walk in Washington.

'We're here to raise SIDS awareness and support families as well as just have a good time. We don't want it to be a sad event, we want it to be a fun event,” he said.

After losing their son, the Lipskis made friends with another local mom who lost her son two weeks after they did. Having someone local to lean on became a source of strength for them and inspired them to begin a walk locally.

Statewide, there are seven walks that take place every year and people come from as far as Des Moines, Eagle Grove and Burlington to participate. For the Lipskis, seeing so many people is a joyful feeling and one they understand because for them, it is not just about raising awareness but keeping the memory of their son alive.

'There's not many opportunities for us to have Jacob a part of our everyday lives, and this is one way,” he said.

Tricia Lipski agreed, saying the idea to start a walk was not a difficult one to make because she knew there were other families in southeast Iowa that were affected by SIDS.

'We've done this enough years it's no longer overwhelming, its heartwarming,” she said. 'To see other families come, especially new families that have never been to a walk, they come and find out there are lots of other families around and we're here to celebrate our children, support each other and raise awareness.”

The proceeds raised during the event go to the Iowa SIDS Foundation which distributes the money for research, family support and safe sleep programs.