A Note from Sean Leahy:
On November 20, 2008…..I witnessed two of my very best friends,… holding their almost-five-month-old-child in their arms at a hospital in Brockport. They were grieving. Everyone around them was grieving.
Their son Grant had passed away of SIDS just hours earlier that day. I had seen and experienced loss before,..but never anything like that.
Today,… 2+ years later,.. the story of Grant and his parents, Mike and Alana,…. is still heartbreaking and no less tragic,….but their story is now filled with hope, love and healing. Muler (the rock band that I play drums in) and Carbon Records (Thank you VERY much Joe Tunis!) have co-conspired on this recording / fundraising effort,….. focused on helping < 1 year old children and their parents avoid SIDS, and helping those impacted by SIDS,…to cope and carry on as best as possible. People don’t talk about SIDS because it’s so freaking scary. Having had dear friends experience this tragedy,….I’ve learned that it’s actually much scarier,…and fatal, not to talk about SIDS.
The paradox of SIDS is that it is both unavoidable and avoidable. Truth be told…….there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of SIDS…..for example:
-Avoid letting infants sleep on their stomachs,.. even if they like it, and even if you’re an exhausted parent and it’s the only way to get some sleep.
– Avoid putting infants to sleep in clothes that are TOO warm.
– Avoid a bunch of blankets, and cheap crib bumpers that may increase chances of suffocation.
But here’s the big mind blower (at least for me)………Mike and Alana did EVERYTHING right,….they followed ALL the “rules”, and still,…. Grant fell victim.
At the same time,…my wife and I have 3 boys,.. (6.5, 6.5 and 7.5),,,..and we broke many of the “rules”,….and not because we’re shitty parents,…or dumb asses…, but simply out of ignorance and exhaustion. Still,..our boys survived.
Here’s the big takeaway………You CAN choose to minimize the likelihood of SIDS by understanding it,… and even if YOU don’t have children,…by learning a little more about SIDS,…you may very well be able to help someone you love avoid tragedy. By understanding SIDS,…you’ll also be in a much better position to have compassionate, supportive dialogue with anyone you know who may be coping with the effects of SIDS.
Muler and Carbon Records hope this project helps with this difficult,….must-have conversation.
Muler and Carbon Records paid for this project in its entirety,…so every dollar spent (donated), goes directly to http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Grant-Fund/267512884475
In a world where the price of music is embarrassingly low,….you can purchase this record for as much as you want….and every dollar will go toward the cause.
You can buy it on iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hope-you-found-a-home/id439323548
Official Muler Website
http://www.mulerband.com/
Bandcamp site:
http://music.mulerband.com/
Thanks for your attention.
Sean Leahy
PS..”Thank you” to Joe Terry, the CEO of Corporate Visions, for pushing me and our entire team at Corporate Visions to pursue not only excellence in business, but also pursue our individual passions,…and above all,….serve others.
