PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — We first introduced you to Mike and Megan Moudy in 2019 after they lost their toddler son, Ace, unexpectedly. It was categorized as Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood (SUDC). They vowed to focus on finding out what happened to Ace and to honor his legacy.
They've since had another son, Jace John.
"He was a true lifesaver, just incredible having him where you can pour all this love into," Mike said about Jace.
Through the SUDC Foundation, Children's Hospital and Medical Center and Mayo Clinic, they've been actively working to find more answers about Ace's death. They've learned that both Jace and Mike have a genetic variant that is linked to a heart condition called cholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT).
"It was definitely pretty shocking with him being a Division 1 athlete, you wouldn't think there would be any cardiac issues in our family," Megan said.
Mike, who played football at UNL, is now on medication for high blood pressure and Jace is on medication for a heart condition that impacts babies but typically doesn't carry into childhood. Their medications would also help with CPVT.
They may never know for sure if the condition played a role in Ace's death, but they're taking control of their health and Jace's health.
"We've done literally everything we can to protect him and keep him safe, there's nothing we don't know about him, or at least that modern medicine that could uncover," Mike said.
And they continue to honor Ace. In the middle of the pandemic, a donor stepped up to give $20,000 to help them build a playground called Ace's Place near the Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln. This put them at their goal of $75,000. Megan played softball at UNL and the family's last night with Ace was spent attending a game there.
The family hopes to continue fundraising in Ace's name. They've already raised money to buy defibrillators for a couple local organizations. After learning it can be a long process to get insurance to cover the costly devices, they would like to continue with that mission.
