Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths

Mandate

CFSID's mandate is to deliver health and safety education through an extensive network of councils composed of volunteers in local communities across Canada. CFSID provides resources and services for all Infant deaths including perinatal deaths such as miscarriage and stillbirth with respect to peer support, public education and fundraising. Research will still remain SIDS related.

History

The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (the SIDS Foundation) was created in 1973 to respond to the needs of families experiencing a sudden and devastating, unexpected infant death.

We are an incorporated charitable organization (BIN number 118831544-RR0001) governed by a volunteer Board of Directors representing various regions across Canada.

We are the only organization in Canada solely dedicated to finding the cause(s) of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and its effect on families, to the education of the public and to the emotional support of families who have lost a baby unexpectedly.

Dr. Sydney Segal

A Tangible Legacy
One ambition is to leave, for the enrichment of future generations, an indestructible legacy that is clearly tangible, but without the transience of material property.  Example of such a legacy would include an artist’s beautiful painting or monument, a composer’s captivating music, a statesman’s contribution to social advancement, or a research scientist’s discovery of a new method for the promotion of health or the conservation of some natural resource.

Paramount in my ambition is for my own legacy to provide such an element.  I would be ever happier if that legacy were to carry a motivating force for some future person to improve its effectiveness.  Subsequently, my identification with the original could disappear.  Anyone who may be aware of the transfer of credit should feel no less satisfied.

-  Written by Sydney Segal
Dated January 24, 1993, found in his papers after his death.

Known as Dr. Segal, St. Segal and the Godfather of SIDS, however you knew him, you couldn’t help but love him!  He had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in the room.  A quiet man, his whole life had been an example of service to others before self. He was unfailingly compassionate and caring no matter what the situation or who the person.  On June 21, 1997, Dr. Sydney Segal died of heart failure after long illness.

When Dr. Segal was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada, the citation read “Professor Emeritus of Paediatrics at the University of British Columbia and Past President of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth, this well respected neonatologist has make a lifelong contribution to the welfare of children everywhere.  He has been actively involved in the areas of medical ethics, fetal medicine, drug addicted newborns, respiratory paediatrics, children with AIDS and sudden infant death syndrome.”

Dr. Segal was honoured with almost every national and international award and honour that exists.  As well as the Order of Canada, this long list includes the Order of British Columbia, and our nation’s highest award for volunteer service, the Canada Volunteer Award of Honour.

After graduating from McGill University, he served his country in World War II and when the war ended he earned his medical degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.  He completed his internship in Vancouver and then trained at Harvard University in neonatology, a new medical specialty at the time.

Renowned as a medical pioneer, his numerous innovations in the pediatric field are now taken for granted.  His early research work at Harvard helped establish our present understanding of breathing mechanics in the newborn.  He paved the way for new concepts and methods for intensive-care of the newborn and in the transport of sick infants, and he designed some early innovations for life support of infants requiring respiratory assistance.  He was a consultant with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland for 18 years.  Until his retirement, he remained at the University of BC as a professor in the Faculty of Pediatrics where he published more than 100 scientific papers.

SIDS had been a concern of Dr. Segal since his initial days as a pediatrician in the 50’s as he always had an inquiring mind and always had an interest in unsolved problems in health care. The death of his daughter due to SIDS in 1957 brought him even closer to the problem.

In 1973, Dr. Segal became one of the founders of The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths and sat on its medical advisory committee from the beginning.  He was a driving force in pulling together the first Canadian SIDS conference held in 1974 and until his death, volunteered as a National Board member and a parent counsellor to his local Vancouver SIDS chapter.

Dr. Segal opened the first intensive-care unit for newborns at Vancouver General Hospital.  His achievements include establishing the first “Blue Code” service in Canada for resuscitating emergency-room patients, the first intensive-care system for infants in transit to hospitals and the first transportable incubator system in Canada.  He also invented the first apparatus to substitute mechanical for natural breathing in infants with respiratory failure.

Dr. Larry Becker

A description of Dr. Larry Becker’s many professional accomplishments is but a small piece of who Laurence Becker really was. He was a very well rounded man who had a real passion for life.  The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths benefited from that passion as did all the families that are a part of this organization.  Larry loved to travel, the theatre and opera. He was also a collector of antiques and oil lamps.  An avid runner, he had participating in the Toronto marathon and was the first and last to hit the dance floor! Larry was a very proud father, grandfather and husband. Married to his wife Edna for 32 years, theirs was a partnership of great joy, love and support.  Larry died of cancer on July 17, 2002 at the young age of 59 years.

Laurence graduated from the University of Alberta Medical School in 1967 and completed postgraduate specialization in neuropathology at the University of Toronto and Johns Hopkins Medical School.  He joined the U of T Faculty of Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) and Toronto General Hospital in 1974. In 1980, Larry was appointed Professor in the Department of Pathology at U of T.  He was the founding Chief of the Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine and Head Division of Pathology at HSC and was had been re-appointed for a second term as Chief not long before his death.  He also served as Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at HSC from 1996-2000 and contributed extensively to numerous hospital, university and international academic committees.

Laurence was considered a world authority on Pediatric Neuropathology. He authored over 300 publications, held numerous research grants, and was an invited speaker at scientific meetings around the world and recipient of numerous awards and honors.  In his years with HSC, Larry fostered a strong learning environment, not only for colleagues, but also a network of international postgraduate trainees.

It was Larry’s interest in SIDS research and the CFSID that many of us knew him best for.  He is remembered as compassionate and caring by the many families with whom he came in contact.  Larry led many discussions on SIDS research at various Baby’s Breath conferences.  He was able to convey difficult scientific information clearly, was excited at the possibility of any research breakthroughs and was always very kind, compassionate and respectful of all SIDS parents.  

Upon Larry’s resignation as Chair of the Research Advisory Committee due to his illness, a special lectureship fund was established in his honour, to launch a speaking or lecture series on SIDS. Larry thought this was a marvelous idea. He especially wanted to ensure that young researchers were encouraged to pursue research in the field of SIDS – believing that one day there would be an answer.

Dr. Laurence Becker – Your compassion, commitment, sense of humour and fun, wisdom, knowledge and sage advice are all part of what you shared with us and for which we will always be grateful and cherish. Thank you for your immense contributions to Canadian SIDS parents, to the SIDS cause and to the Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths.  You are missed dearly.

Dr. Becker served as Chair of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) for the SIDS Foundation and as such, aided in the rejuvenation of the committee, reviewing research applications and encouraging young and promising researchers to devote themselves to the puzzling question of SIDS.  Larry was also the Chair of the Scientific Committee for the 2004 SIDS International conference and was very excited about the opportunity it offered to highlight Canada’s efforts in the field of SIDS.

A world renowned neuropathologist, a gifted Teacher and an authority on SIDS. His devotion to SIDS research and guidance to the organization contributed enormously to the work of the Foundation.