She placed her 30-day-old baby in the same bed with her, fed him and then put him to bed.

A single mother, Amanda Saucedo, from Lorain, Ohio, tragically discovered her one-month-old son, Ben, dead beside her in bed. After feeding him during the night, she dozed off, only to wake up at 8 am to find Ben unresponsive, with blood around him. Despite efforts to revive him, Ben had passed away.

Amanda struggled with guilt and confusion, as the cause of death was determined to be positional asphyxiation, often linked to unsafe sleep practices. She had no idea how this happened, as Ben’s airway wasn’t obstructed. She faced police questioning but felt no wrongdoing on her part.

Although there was no evidence of negligence, Amanda was devastated by the guilt. She now speaks out to raise awareness about Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), SIDS, and the risks of bed-sharing. She believes that if she had followed safer sleep practices, Ben might still be alive and hopes to spare others from this grief. Amanda now shares Benny Bears and her story to educate new parents about safe sleep habits.