Suttles Family Support

In all of my years as a trauma therapist, I've never seen such resilience first-hand. Seeing the strength and courage that Seth, Emily, and Cole are showing through this unimaginable loss has been almost impossible to wrap my head around. Seth & Emily lost their daughter, Quinn, suddenly and tragically this week. There is absolutely no way to articulate the hole that this has left in our lives and I know this will be a lifelong pain that will always be.

A few words from Quinn's dad, Seth-

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"Our daughter Quinn was a joyful, bright, and energetic 4½-year-old. She lit up every room she entered, always full of laughter, curiosity, and love. Just days ago, what started as a typical cold or stomach bug quickly turned into something much more serious.

At first, she had some abdominal pain and diarrhea. As the day went on, she grew increasingly tired and weak, and we knew something wasn’t right. We took her to the pediatrician, who ran blood, urine, and stool tests. While her labs appeared mostly normal, the stool sample came back positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)—a bacteria known to sometimes cause serious complications in young children.

We were advised to take Quinn to the UVA Emergency Department for further evaluation and monitoring. After additional tests, the doctors became concerned she was developing Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)—a rare but severe condition caused by the Shiga toxin. HUS leads to the destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia), low platelets (thrombocytopenia), and kidney failure (acute kidney injury).

Quinn was admitted to the Pediatric ICU. Despite the efforts of a dedicated medical team and every possible intervention, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Within 24 hours, her body could no longer fight the damage caused by the toxin.

Our sweet Quinn passed away on April 3rd.

She left us far too soon, but she will always be remembered for her light, her laughter, and the love she gave so freely. We are devastated, but we are also so proud to have been her parents. She was, and will always be, our brave little girl."

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This community has shown up for us in ways that I cannot even begin to offer thanks for. Please do not feel obligated to donate funds. We feel the support in all different forms. So many of you have asked what you can do to help and I'm hoping that this GoFundMe can be a place to channel such efforts. I know what it feels like to be onlooker, feeling helpless in an impossible situation. I hope you all know that our family is leaning on each other, providing for each other, and tending to one another. We feel the prayers, the love, the efforts from near and far and won't ever forget what you all have done for us.

The timing of this loss comes as we simultaneously have been anticipating the arrival of Seth & Emily's third child. In just a few short weeks, the arrival of a new baby will undoubtedly remind us all that life is precious, miraculous, and something to be cherished every-single-day. There has been no greater joy for Seth & Emily than being parents to their children. And no greater loss than the one they're feeling now.

We are desperately missing our sassy, wildly smart, beautiful, Unicorn-loving Q forever. For now, we are left to pick up the pieces that are left behind. Our shattered hearts will hold onto hope that we will one day be reunited with our curly-haired girl. For now, she paves the way for us - as she always has.