The Poppy

Dedication

The SIDSNET list and web site is dedicated to my family:

my wife, Margie Stewart

and my children

William David Stewart Balzer
"Willie"
(November 10, 1992 to March 10, 1993)

Benjamin Gabriel Stewart Balzer
(born April 27, 1994)

and

Joel Matthew Stewart Balzer
(born August 20, 1998)

To me, the poppy represents many of my feelings about SIDS. The poppy is a flower which is associated with sleep and with death. It is both fascinating and hardy. A few weeks after Willie's death Margie and I drove down the coast to Big Sur; the poppies along the cliffs were in full bloom. Although they may be trampled they seem to come back up. SIDS seems to have the capability to revisit us no matter how hard we fight against it, but fortunately, we can keep coming back as well.

Thanks to Dr. Ron Ariagno for suggesting the poppy symbol.

Click here to return to the main page