The Makaylen Mile

Makaylen Jaymes Plotz was born on Valentine's Day, 2022 and died a little over 18 months later. Our beautiful little girl was a healthy and thriving toddler. We put her to bed with hugs and kisses like every other night of her life and we had zero warning of what was to come. The morning of Friday, September 8th, 2023 Makaylen did not wake up. After 8 long weeks we received the extensive autopsy results that told us what we already knew… nothing was wrong with Makaylen, our daughter was completely healthy, there was no accident or injury, and her cause of death was labeled “Undetermined.” This puts her into the category of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC.)

According to the SUDC Foundation: “Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children between the ages of 1 and 18 years that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including an autopsy. Most often, a seemingly healthy child goes to sleep and never wakes up. SUDC is not new but is believed to be rare, with estimates being about one in every 100,000 children. Every year, at least 400 children are lost to undetermined causes in the U.S. alone. It is most common in young children and is the fifth leading category of death among children ages 1 to 4 years.”

THE MAKAYLEN MILE will take place on September 7th, 2024 at the annual High Forest Old Settlers Day Celebration (just 3 miles West of Stewartville, Minnesota.) At 10:00am we will take off from the starting line at High Forest Village Park. Packet pick-up starts at 9:00am which will include your registration confirmation, SUDC Swag, water, a snack, and your High Forest Old Settlers Day button! Button's will get you entry into the entire day's festivities which include:

The Makaylen Mile; a kids fishing contest; multiple kids games and activities; live music; bean bag tournament; wagon rides; a parade; bonfire; and more! Food vendors and a cash bar will also be available starting at 11:00am. 

Along the 1.3 mile route there will be a Kids Scavenger Hunt that can be completed for a special prize. But more importantly, there will be multiple signs in remembrance of the far too many other Minnesota SUDC children, whose families we have been connected to. Awards will be given for fastest mile; fastest overall; largest group/team; best dressed; youngest/oldest participants; and more!

Our family is using what little energy we have remaining to find ways to both honor Makaylen and raise awareness of SUDC. We have donated her DNA to the SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative which we pray will one day find answers that can prevent other families from experiencing this nightmare. The SUDC-RRC will be receiving the bulk of the proceeds from The Makaylen Mile to help fund the continued research!

The SUDC Foundation has also been a vital area of support: providing resources from the very beginning, answering the most difficult questions, directing us to the DNA bank and research opportunities, helping with The Makaylen Mile event logistics, and connecting us to a network of other families. A portion of the proceeds will go to them as well, to support the overhead costs. Finally, we will set aside enough money to fund the $1000 Makaylen Memorial Scholarship for a Stewartville High School Senior next year who is planning to pursue a career in the field of medical research, social work/psychology, or early childhood.

Here’s a little more about our girl…

Makaylen had a gift for making everyone in a room smile and laugh. She was the best snuggler, so very generous with her kisses and hugs, and she never left a sneeze unblessed. She had a large vocabulary, could count to 20, and loved to sing! She would sing her ABC's with the most adorable sound when she said her "x" that made us giggle every single time. Makaylen enjoyed reading books, and creating art daily, most often with paint!Blowing bubbles, drawing with chalk, and our sandbox were her favorite things to do outside. She also LOVED to dance, music or no music! Her dancing was the adorable toddler spin that makes adults dizzy to watch. Makaylen was her big sister's shadow, constantly insisting that she could do anything Aliyah could do. Our little Valentine will forever be in our hearts and on our minds!

With love, Mallory and Adam Plotz