JULIAN'S STORY 

ON DECEMBER 7, 2004 WE WERE BLESSED WITH A HAPPY, BOUNCY, BABY BOY WE NAMED JULIAN JAMAAL ALEXANDER. WE FIRST NOTICED HIS CRY, HIS SOFT EYES, THE WAY HE SMELLED, AND HIS BEAUTIFUL HAIR. JULIAN LOVED TO EAT AND LOVED TO SLEEP. WE NICKNAMED HIM FAT-FAT SINCE HE GOT SO BIG SO FAST. HE HAD A SMILE THAT WOULD LIGHT UP A ROOM AND A COO THAT JUST MELT YOUR HEART. HE WAS A JOY TO SEE AFTER A HARD DAY, HIS GIGGLE MADE EVERYTHING OKAY. HE MOTIVATED US TO BE BETTER AND DO MORE. THE MORNING OF MARCH 24, 2005 CHANGED OUR LIVES FOREVER.WE WOKE AT 7:33AM TO FIND OUR PRECIOUS BABY LYING IN BED AND WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SLEEPING. WE WENT TO MOVE JULIAN TO FIND HE WASN’T BREATHING. WE PERFORMED C.P.R, AS WE WERE BOTH CERTIFIED AND CALLED 911. THE AMBULANCE CAME AND PARAMEDICS TOOK OUR BABY. WE RUSHED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL AND UPON OUR ARRIVAL A NURSE SAT US DOWN. SHE SAID “IM SORRY, BUT HE IS GONE” OUR HEARTS CRACKED, TEARS FELL, AND EMOTIONS WENT WILD. WE WERE TAKEN TO A COLD, DARK ROOM AND SAW OUR BABY LIFELESS BODY LAYING THERE. WE TOOK HIM TOGETHER IN OUR ARMS AND HELD HIM AND CRIED. WE WERE SO CONFUSED AND DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, HOW, AND MOST OF ALL WHY. ANGER SET IN AND SO DID GUILTINESS, WE BLAMED OURSELVES WE QUESTIONED GOD AND WE POINTED FINGERS. JULIAN WAS BURIED MARCH 29, 2005 HIS SERVICE WAS BEAUTIFUL, FIT FOR A LITTLE PRINCE. WE NEVER NOTICED HOW MANY LIVES HE TOUCHED UNTIL THAT DAY. THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE; FAMILY, EXTENDED FAMILY, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND MANY OTHERS WHO JUST WANTED TO SAY A LAST GOODBYE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT EVERYDAY AFTER HIS DEATH, IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS IT WAS ALWAYS THERE, BUT WHEN WE RECEIVED HIS AUTOPSY REPORT WE WERE SPEECHLESS. IT READ: CAUSE OF DEATH – SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME. WE BECAME S.I.D.S PARENTS AND OUR ANGEL WAS A VICTIM OF S.I.D.S. WE WERE AWARE OF S.I.D.S FROM A CLOSE FRIEND OF OURS WHOM LOST THEIR CHILD YEARS BEFORE.BUT LIKE MANY WE WERE NAIVE, WE THOUGH “THIS COULDN’T HAPPEN TO US”. WE SLEPT WITH OUR FIRST CHILD NEXT TO US AND HE SURVIVED SO THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN OUR MINDS, WE ASSUMED JULIAN WOULD BE FINE.
WE WERE UNEDUCATED THEN TO THIS MONSTER CALLED S.I.D.S, SO WE STARTED ATTENDING MEETINGS AND READING MORE ON IT. WE TOOK ACTION TO LEARN AND EDUCATE OTHERS.WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT TOOK OUR BABY, WE WANTED TO HELP OTHERS PROTECT THEIR BABIES. WE EXPRESS OUR EMOTIONS TO ALL THAT WILL HEAR. IN THE 1990’S THE “SAFE SLEEP” CAMPAIGN WAS GOING ON. WE WERE YOUNG THEN, CHILDREN OURSELVES, AND DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT. NOW AS ADULTS AND PARENTS OURSELVES WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO OUR PEERS. MANY YOUNG PARENTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT OR EVEN REMEMBER THE “SAFE SLEEP” CAMPAIGN. WE WANT TO GET THE WORD OUT TO OUR GENERATION ABOUT S.I.D.S, THE CORRECT “ROOM SHARING” GUIDELINES, AND HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN. AS YOUNG, AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENTS, WE WANT TO EDUCATE OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES ON THE RISE OF S.I.D.S IN OUR ETHNIC GROUP. JULIAN WILL FOREVER LIVE ON FOR WE HAVE DEDICATED OURSELVES TO TELLING HIS STORY, LEARNING MORE ABOUT S.I.D.S, EDUCATING OTHERS, AND SUCCEDING IN FINDING A CAUSE TO SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME.

JONATHAN AND BRIDGETTE ALEXANDER
PARENTS OF JULIAN JAMAAL ALEXANDER