Hope After Heartbreak: Community Honors Baby Who Died Suddenly

MATTITUCK, NY — A community heartbroken after the sudden death of a baby girl came together to create a beautiful tribute in her memory — and on Thursday night, a ribbon-cutting was held for "Claire's Corner" at the Mattituck-Laurel Library,

The project, a makeover to the toddler area at the library, was created in loving memory of Suzanne and Judd's precious daughter Claire Anne Lincoln, who died suddenly in November.

Mattituck-Laurel Library Director Jeff Walden welcomed guests to the dedication ceremony.

He outlined the progression of the project, which was born after colleagues of Judd and Suzanne's at Riverhead Building Supply and Hyatt Place Long Island/East End & Atlantis Banquet and Events teamed up with a caring community, joining hands and hearts to raise funds.

Since Claire's Corner was first opened for children, the space has already become a hit, Walden said, with children playing in the tunnel and with toys including a faux cell phone — and sitting on the floor, reading books with the caring adults in their lives.

Walden said in working on the project, he "saw something truly special — having a community come together" to finance the creation of Claire's Corner. With funds that are left over, Walden said additional books and toys will be purchased and special programs planned.

"It's amazing," said Suzanne Lincoln, of the beautiful space created in honor of her daughter.

She also shared the joyful news that the couple is expecting again . . . a baby girl.

Judd Lincoln said even at 14 months, their beautiful baby Claire showed a love of books and reading. He thanked all involved and said Claire's Corner is a "touching, moving, and warming tribute."

The entryway to Claire's Corner — which includes innovative toddler seating, creative bookshelves, an age appropriate interactive educational learning wall, a new entryway, a photo of Claire and plaque in her memory and new carpeting — Suzanne Lincoln said, is appropriately marked by a large book.

Already, she said, her son Charlie Michael, three, has been to Claire's Corner twice; he loves going to the library with his grandma Nancy Lincoln.

Claire's story

The day that no mother should ever have to recount began like so many others, Suzanne said.
Her son goes to a day nursery in Riverhead, and her daughter went to the same private sitter where Suzanne had sent Charlie until he began attending school.

"I dropped Claire off at the sitter. I hugged her. I kissed her. And then I dropped off my son," Suzanne said.

She headed to her job at Hyatt Place, where she's a sales manager.

"It was a normal day, a Tuesday," a day when she had a sales meeting, Suzanne said. "I went back to my office and had two messages. I hung up the phone and in that time frame, I'd gotten another message from my husband. He was frantic, telling me to get to the hospital, that they'd found Claire unresponsive and not breathing."

Grabbing her bag in a panic, she ran through the office; when she got to the door her friend and co-worker Michelle DeBay offered to drive.

When they got to the ER, Suzanne said she was looking for her daughter. "There were all these people in the hallway. I saw my husband; he was so upset. They brought us into a private room and within 10 minutes, the doctor came in. He apologized, gave me a hug, and told us they were not able to revive her. She was pronounced dead at 3:18 p.m. that day."

And to date, there are no answers why.

Her daughter, Suzanne said, died of Sudden Unexplained Death In Childhood, or SUDC, which is defined as the "sudden and unexpected death of a child 12 months and older which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation is conducted," according to the SUDC Foundation.

According to statistics provided by the SUDC Foundation, SUDC was the cause of death in 2016 for 236 children between ages 1 and 4, 30 between the ages of 5 and 9, 37 between the ages of 10 and 14, and 142 for ages 15 to 19.

Recently, the results of their daughter's autopsy indicated that she was "100 percent perfect," Suzanne said. "There was nothing wrong with her."

The Lincolns met with a chief medical examiner, who had tears in his eyes, because, she said, there were no answers.

Her baby, Suzanne said, had been teething, getting her first two molars. "She was cranky, with a runny nose. I was sick, my son was sick. But that was it. Besides the teething, she was a really healthy child."

Describing her precious baby girl, Suzanne said she was vibrant and loving, sweet and very smart, already able to pick up some sign language, blowing kisses, and already in command of a vocabulary, saying words including "Momma" and "Dada" at 14 months.

"She was just a gentle soul," she said.

Although not always a great sleeper, Claire was a calm, happy baby, content to sit quietly in the cart while she shopped, Suzanne said. She loved "Little Einstein" and the "Mickey Mouse Club House" — and she adored her doll babies, which she'd cradle and rock in her arms.

Suzanne said the questions linger — haunt.

"She was such a perfect baby," she said. Some babies with SUDC have some family history that can offer explanations. But not Claire. "She had nothing. She just did not wake up when she went down for her nap," Suzanne said.

When Claire didn't wake up at the usual time, her sitter went to check. "She was already cool," Suzanne said. "She hadn't just passed away."

Her daughter, she said, was just learning to walk. "I just bought her her first pair of shoes in mid-October."

And when she went to Target, those pink and purple velcro toddler shoes were still there, hanging on the outside aisle.

Shoes her baby Claire would never get to wear.

At night, she and her husband remember their girl, waking them up in the night, standing up in her crib, her hands on the edge, "awake and ready to party at 2 a.m." — something they'd do anything to see again.

"She was a cutie pie," Suzanne said.

The Claire's Corner project at the Library has brought comfort, Suzanne said.

"We'll have a place to go, where people will see that she's still with us — where they will see the light of her beauty."

(Claire loved books, even at 14 months old).

Claire, Suzanne said, was fascinated with books, holding them the right way and looking at them intently. One day, she pulled all the books off the shelf and was happily ensconced among a sea of titles.

At Thursday's event, Caryn Devivo, corporate sales manager for the Long Island Aquarium, said she was "humbled" and "so happy, that as a community, we were able to do something to honor Claire after such a terrible loss. I hope this brings joy to so many families in the future — and to Suzanne and Judd, and their beautiful children."

Photos by Lisa Finn, Chris DeVivo, Lincoln family.