Maxwell Douglas Adamek Best

Maxwell was a beautiful, bright, and healthy baby boy. He had the softest and most kissable cheeks and brought smiles and joy to his family and all who knew him. In December 2002 tragedy struck hard. At the age of 13 months, after being tucked in bed for the night by his daddy, Max went to sleep and never woke up. This scholarship is in Max’s memory to increase awareness and education of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is the sudden and unexpected death of a child over the age of 12 months which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation is conducted. This must include; examination of the death scene, performance of a complete autopsy, and a review of the child and family’s medical history. SUDC is a diagnosis of exclusion given when all known and possible causes of death have been ruled out. Please go to www.sudc.org if you want to learn more about SUDC.

This scholarship is given to CLC students who are pursuing a degree in Child Development or in healthcare. It is the hope that as students pursue their education and begin their careers they will share their knowledge of SUDC and support continued research and education related to SUDC. This will continue to honor the memory of Max in a practical and very meaningful way.