A family in country New South Wales is enduring unimaginable grief following the death of their newborn daughter to a rare syndrome at just four weeks of age.
Friends have rallied around grieving Gundagai mum Jayde Bell and her partner after their little girl was a victim of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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Bell had fed four-week-old Maggie at 4am before laying her safely in her cot and returning to bed.
Tragically the child was found dead by her father at 7am.
Close friend Kate Francis revealed Maggie had been an incredible surprise because Bell had been told childhood cancer would stop her from ever having kids.
“Her eldest three were miracles she thought she would never get. To then be given the chance for a fourth was almost like a dream,” Francis said.
Just a week before Maggie’s death, the family had rushed to be by the bedside of Bell’s sick father in his final moments.
Francis said the unexpected trip had forced them to exhaust all their savings before they were dealt another heartbreaking blow.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to cover the child’s funeral and ease the financial burden on her family during this “horrific and terrible time”.
The goal of the campaign is $10,000 and Francis is hopeful the 1700 residents in the small town will contribute what they can.
Francis also put the call out to local businesses to join the effort.
“If we could get something … to raffle off that would be amazing,” she said.
SIDS is a term that describes the unexpected passing of a baby under 12 months when the cause of death is not immediately obvious. It can occur during sleep.
“We’re talking about instances of child death that have no explanation apparent,” GP obstetrician Trudi Beck told 7NEWS.
The ABS recorded 15 SIDS deaths in 2022.