Holmdel PBA Local #239
Dedicates Bench to Vienna Savino
14 JUNE 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
The bench is adorned with a plaque that reads, “Vienna Carly Savino
(V3). 1/19/2015-11/12/2017. We miss you so much. Love- Mommy, Daddy,
V1, V2.” Below the bench is a cement square featuring Vienna’s handprint
between those of her two siblings.
“We want people to always remember our sweet Vienna and never
forget her or her tragic story,” Wunderler said. “We hope that her story will
drive SUDC forward so eventually her cause of death will be uncovered,
and one day, be preventable. Then other families will be spared our devastating
tragedy.”
BY SHANNA O’MARA
An emotional bench dedication ceremony took
place last month at Cross Farm Park in Holmdel.
Holmdel PBA Local #239 funded the cost
of a memorial bench dedicated to Vienna Savino, a
Holmdel resident who died at the age of 2 of Sudden
Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). The event
coincided with the fourth annual Vienna's Day of
International SUDC Awareness, during which Team
Vienna representatives raise awareness of SUDC and
funds to support research.
Vienna’s mom, Dr. Denise Wunderler, began
the event talking about her daughter and paying
tribute to her with the song “I Think About You
(Songs for Vienna).” Vienna’s older sister then addressed
the crowd, thanking her friends for their
Holmdel Mayor Gregory Buontempo read the
proclamation designating May 15, 2021 as Vienna
Carly Savino Day of International SUDC Awareness.
“We are so thankful for the friendship, love,
and support from the Holmdel community,” Wunderler
said on behalf of her and her husband, Dr. Mike Savino. “It has
been three and a half years since Vienna died. For others, it may seem
like a long time ago, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. For my
family and I, it’s every single day. It’s when we put out two cereal bowls
when there should be three. It’s when we see two car seats in our car
when there should be three. It’s a life-long sentence that Mike and I are
trying to navigate the best we can.”
/TheJournalNJ.com