Florida SIDS Alliance
Florida SIDS Alliance Board 2025-2026
Joy Anderson
Colleen Cody
Kim Magee
Biography coming soon.
Through my nursing career, I worked with families with new babies. Part of my job was to meet with families who had a loss from SIDS. I worked with the FL SIDS Alliance to help these families. I became a board member to help find a cure/cause so no family will ever need to experience this kind of loss again.
I am 50 years old, mother of two; a 14 year old and her forever 3 month old baby sister Isabel. An atomic bomb went off in our world when Isabel died. Our life was shattered on Jan. 17 2012. I reached out to every organization I could find on the web that dealt with the sudden death of an infant. Luckily, I found the Florida SIDS Alliance.
Lisa literally saved my life. I have a responsibility to give what I received. I joined this organization to help other parents, and to hopefully see the causes of SIDS found in my lifetime.
Charlene Melcher
Lisa Sculley
Rachel Tribble
Charlene Melcher is a dedicated advocate and leader in the fight against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS/SUID). With 25 years of commitment, Charlene serves as the Vice President of the FL SIDS Alliance, working tirelessly to raise awareness and support for affected families. In addition to her role within the organization, she also chairs the Annual Golf Tournament, a key fundraising event that helps fund vital research and support programs.
Beyond her work with SIDS, Charlene is deeply involved in the community as a board member of The Angel of Hope of Central FL. This organization provides solace and support to families who have experienced the loss of a child, a cause close to her heart.
Outside of her advocacy work, Charlene finds joy in her family life, supported by her loving husband, Rob, and their three living children. Their angel, Jason, continues to inspire her dedication to making a difference in the lives of others who have experienced similar loss.
I came into contact with the Florida SIDS Alliance when our third son, Joey, died of SIDS in 1992, at just 2 months and 23 days old. Our family was struggling to make sense of the loss. I found support for our family in those early months and days, and they assisted in my journey. I found solace and purpose in creating a support group and becoming a Peer Contact who could reach out to other families who faced the loss of an infant suddenly with no apparent cause.
As our family began to find a new normal, a part of that new normal for me became my
volunteer work with the organization. I became a board member, and have served in many capacities, including newsletter editor, secretary and president.
Our mission and our services have changed over the years as our efforts at education and
support of research has resulted in a lower incidence of Sudden Infant death over the years. Our primary goal has always been and still remains the eradication of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as well as other sudden and unexpected death. I still believe in this mission, and that keeps me involved, over 30 years after our Bright Eyed son Joey passed away.
When Rachel made an open adoption plan for her oldest child in 2002, she believed she had overcome what would be her life’s most difficult challenge. Then, in April 2013, Rachel’s 2nd child, Hope Adele, died suddenly and unexpectedly at 46 days old, with cause of death classified as Unidentified/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Later that year, Rachel attended an event for Pregnancy and Infant Loss, where she first came into contact with the Florida SIDS Alliance. She has volunteered her time since 2014 as both a volunteer and later, board member, in order to bring awareness, education and support research related to SIDS, infant loss, and risk reduction.
Rachel holds both Bachelors (‘04) and Masters Degrees (‘06) in Clinical Social Work from Florida State University. She is currently completing the requirements necessary to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Florida, having passed the National Clinical Board Exam. She also holds an internationally recognized Certification as a Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C). Rachel works in a private practice that focuses on maternal mental health, providing individual counseling services and community support. This includes working with parents who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss.
Rachel and her husband live in Tallahassee, FL, and feel honored to have been able to have 2 more daughters post loss, who are now school aged. Rachel’s birth son is now a thriving adult, and they continue fostering their relationship.
Gary Vogel
Roy Bagley
Following the stillbirth of his daughter in 1989, Gary combined his profession, as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and his personal experience to design HEAL, a seven week structured support group for couples who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. Gary has been facilitating HEAL since 1991. As a result of this experience, and writing three books on the subject of pregnancy loss, including “A Caregivers Handbook to Perinatal Loss”, Gary has become a nationally recognized expert in the field. Gary is also a member of the board of directors of the SIDS Alliance of Florida, and a founding member of PILR (Pregnancy & Infant Loss Resources), a cooperative of professionals and non-profits dedicated to assisting families experiencing pregnancy loss.
Biography coming soon.