There is no easy or “best” way to lose a loved one. It hurts no matter how it happens. Some say that losing older relatives who lived a long, prosperous life are “easier” to deal with. Others may say losing the love of your life may be the worst. I think it’s safe to say that no one wishes to lose their own child. For Kayla Borton, tragedy descended upon her family, taking one of her seven week-old twins, Case, and almost losing his brother, Chase, less than 48 hours later.
According to The Mayo Clinic, “Sudden infant death syndrome is the unexplained death of a baby. The baby is usually less than a year old and seems to be healthy. It often happens during sleep. Sudden infant death syndrome also is known as SIDS. It is sometimes called crib death because infants often die in their cribs. The cause of SIDS is unknown. But it may be caused by problems in the area of an infant’s brain that controls breathing and waking up from sleep.”
Kayla shares that, “SIDS was not something that was ever in my radar. Honestly, until I lost my son [Case] to SIDS, I truly believed SIDS only happened to really sick babies, or babies with negligent parents. Doctors tell you not to drink, smoke or do drugs and practice safe sleep and your babies will be safe, but that’s just not the case. I didn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, I breastfed, and they slept in my room in their individual safe sleep spaces, and he still passed from SIDS. SIDS can and does happen to anyone. The day after Case passed someone purchased an Owlet sock for Case’s twin brother Chase. That very first night we received it, we set it up and put it on him. At about 2:30 AM we received a low oxygen alert. I found Chase unresponsive in his bassinet. I immediately pulled him out and started to revive him. Thanks to the owlet alerting me to an issue with his breathing, I was able to get him breathing all on his own, before it was too late. It was in this moment that I knew this was God’s plan for my son Case. God knew I would use my love for my son and the pain from his loss as a way to help prevent this tragedy from happening to others, and thus I founded the Just in Case Foundation.
To shed a little more light on her 501(c)3, Kayla continues, “The Just in Case Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in honor of my son Case who lost his life to SIDS in 2021. Our organization spreads awareness of SIDS, educates on the risk factors of SIDS and how to reduce those risk factors, teaches CPR and provides parents with a free Owlet monitor for their infants. The Owlet provided by our foundation monitors infant heart rate and oxygen levels, and prompts parents to check in their infants if and when those levels fall outside the normal range.”
“One thing that sets the Just in Case Foundation apart from other nonprofits is our SIDS and Safety Seminars.” -Kayla Borton, Founder
“Our SIDS and Safety Seminars are an educational course offered to anyone that wants to learn about SIDS. We educate about what SIDS is, the risk factors of SIDS and how to reduce those risk factors. We teach safe sleep practice and how to perform CPR. Then once they have completed the course they are given a free Owlet.”
Learn more about the Just in Case Foundation on their website here.
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