On March 14, 2005, Laura and Steve Becton welcomed their second child, Luke Edward, into their family. Everyone, especially the grandparents, were thrilled with another baby boy! This chubby baby arrived with a silly wide grin and a love of life. His two year-old brother Ryan called him “Gukey” and loved to play with his feet. Over the next four months Luke grew into a smiley, thumb-sucking bubbly boy. He loved to sit in his bouncy chair and watch the world around him. He would move his arms and loved to flash his ever-present smile. Luke also loved music and walks around the West Village with his parents, chatting all the way.

On July 18, 2005, a mere four months and four days later, Luke spent the morning at the park with his mom and brother. Coming home, he had a bottle and played with Ryan before he was put down for his afternoon nap. He never woke up.

In the almost five years since this tragedy, the Becton family has had to learn to cope with the loss of Luke. They have had to deal with the reality that Luke will not grow up and share his life with his brother Ryan and the Bectons’ subsequent children, Aidan and Hope. Since Luke’s death, Laura and Steve have met many other families who have also lost their baby suddenly and with no explanation. They have witnessed both first-hand and through these connections with other families, the level and variety of support needed to cope with such a loss.

Since Luke’s death, Laura and Steve have received amazing support from both their families, friends and medical professionals. Their goal is to raise money to benefit the Luke Edward Memorial Fund at First Candle so all families in their situation can receive this crucial support.

However, the ultimate goal for Laura and Steve is putting an end to the mystery that has been SIDS. The good news is that there have been several recent breakthroughs in  SIDS research – but there is much work to be done before we can ensure that SIDS is a thing of the past. Despite tremendous success at reducing SIDS rates during the last decade, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for babies one month to one year of age.

Last Updated: Apr 22, 2011