(ABC 6 News) — It’s a story of perseverance following unimaginable heartbreak and a true testament to the love of a mother and father.

A little girl named Makaylen was born on Valentine’s Day in 2022 but died just 19 months later. It’s a parents worst nightmare and one that the Plotz family from Stewartville is still working through.

Out of their heartbreak comes hope that no other family endures the loss of a child to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).

On Friday, ABC 6 News anchor Robin Wolfram got a chance to sit down with Mallory and Adam Plotz, the parents of Makaylen, to learn more about the little girl and how they are honoring her memory.

“We put her and our older daughter to bed like every other night of our lives,” Mallory said. “Just a very typical ordinary night. She was healthy. She wasn’t ill… and then just the next morning, went to wake her up, and she didn’t wake up.”

Mallory and Adam took Makaylen in for an autopsy, and the discovery was what they had already known: she was perfectly healthy.

“There was nothing wrong with her. They didn’t find anything to know what could have done this,” Mallory said. “[Makaylen’s death] was labeled undetermined.”

As a result, Makaylen’s death put her in the category of SUDC.

Now, to remember Makaylen, the family is putting on an event on Saturday in Stewartville called The Makaylen Mile to help raise awareness for SUDC, and it kicks off at 10 AM with packet pickup at 9 AM. Signup is $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 6-17.

“Over 450 children in the U.S. alone die of SUDC, in the category of SUDC, each year. To me, 450 children, that’s too many,” Mallory said.

Proceeds from the event will go towards The Makaylen Plotz Memorial Scholarship.

To learn more about The Makaylen Mile click here.