Jenni Sheets always dreamed of being a mother. When she married Michael in December 2007 and welcomed their first son, Carson, a few years later, her life felt complete. She loved the chaos, the laughter, and even the sleepless nights. Motherhood felt like her calling. When their second son, Avery, was born in November 2014, her heart made room for even more love. Avery was beautiful, bright-eyed, and full of energy. From the beginning, he needed more attention than Carson had at that age. He was colicky and often cried unless Jenni held him close. For her, that was never a burden. She loved being the one who could calm him.
One cold day in January 2016, Avery developed a fever that refused to go down. It didn’t seem serious at first, but the numbers on the thermometer made her uneasy. She took him to the doctor, who diagnosed a double ear infection and prescribed antibiotics. She followed every instruction carefully, but later that day, something terrifying happened. As Avery napped on her chest, his little body began to seize. His lips turned blue, and Jenni froze in shock before calling for help. By the time the paramedics arrived, his color had returned, but she knew something had changed. At the hospital, doctors explained that Avery’s seizures were febrile, a reaction to high fevers that sometimes occurred in children under five. They told her not to worry, that he would outgrow it. But within weeks, he had two more episodes. Jenni begged for more testing, pleading with doctors to keep him overnight. They found he had Influenza A, but nothing else. She and Michael brought him home and tried to breathe again.
Life slowly returned to normal. They celebrated holidays, filled their home with laughter, and watched Carson and Avery grow closer daily. The brothers were inseparable, always side by side, sharing toys and hugs. That Halloween in 2016, they went trick-or-treating as a family, smiling and laughing under the orange streetlights. It was a perfect night, one of those evenings you wish you could freeze in time. Jenni later realized that night had given them their last family photo together.
Just two weeks later, everything changed. Avery seemed tired and clingy one morning, so Jenni let him nap longer than usual. His fever was low, nothing alarming. Michael and Carson were getting ready to head north for a hunting trip, so Jenni stayed behind to enjoy a quiet day with her youngest. After the boys left, she checked on Avery, expecting to see him stretching awake. Instead, she found him lying still and peaceful, as if he were lost in a dream.
The truth hit her before her mind could process it. He was gone. Her world was shattered in an instant. The following hours blurred into chaos as family, police, and paramedics filled the house. Jenni made the impossible phone call to Michael, her voice trembling as she told him to come home. Planning Avery’s funeral felt like a nightmare she couldn’t wake from. Carson wanted to ensure his little brother had his favorite toys, books, and blanket with him, so they gently placed them beside him before saying goodbye.
Months later, the autopsy revealed no apparent cause. Every test came back normal. Avery’s death was ruled as SUDC, Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood. A healthy, happy child had gone to bed and never woken up. There were no signs, no warnings, just silence, the years since have been filled with heartbreak and questions that have no answers. Jenni often sits quietly at night, tears slipping down her face as she remembers the sound of his laughter or how he greeted his father at the door. She still hears his voice calling out for her in her dreams.
She and Michael have learned to walk through their grief together. Some days they seem strong to others, but the ache never fades inside. They hold tight to Carson and try to live daily with gratitude, knowing how fragile life truly is. They include Avery in everything they do, speaking his name often and keeping his memory alive in their home. Jenni still wonders how this could have happened, how a healthy child could simply fall asleep and never wake up. But in her heart, she holds onto one hope—that one day, when her time comes, Avery will be waiting for her, smiling with that same sweet grin, ready to call her Momma once more.
