Doctor Who Lost Her Son Discusses Black Maternal Health Week
For many women, nothing could be more painful than losing a child. But that’s exactly what happened to Dr. Sharon Ingram, a board-certified OBGYN in Florida. She was in medical school when her four-month-old son passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at a local daycare center.
She lost her first-born nearly 20 years ago, but it’s a day she’ll never forget. “I dropped out of medical school because I thought that I should have been not studying,” Ingram said to ABC this week. “I thought I should have been with him because maybe I could have made a difference, although I know now that you cannot.”
Dr. Sharon Ingram
(NEW YORK) Dr. Sharon Ingram, a board-certified OBGYN in Florida, was in medical school when her four-month-old son, Alton Jr., died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) while at a day care center. I dropped out of medical school because I thought that I should have been not studying, Ingram told ABC News
Good Morning America about losing her first-born child nearly 20 years ago. I thought I should have been with him because maybe I could have made a difference, although I know now that you cannot.
The death of Alton Jr., who was called A.J., was considered a case of infant mortality because he died before his first birthday. On average, around 20,000 infants die in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).