Doctor & More Dr Denise Wunderler DO, FAOASM
When I first heard of Dr. Denise Wunderler tell her story on a podcast I stopped what I was doing and sat down to give this lady my full attention. Normally I multi task while I have a podcast on but listening to Dr. Denise deserved my full attention. I sat down in my bedroom with my furniture polish in one hand and cloth in the other. I didn’t move until the podcast finished!
Dr. Denise lives in Holmdel, New Jersey where she is a mom, a physician, the Team USA Volleyball physician and one very active lady. Just these things alone would make a fabulous interview but there is something so much bigger that drives Dr. Denise.
In 2017 Dr. Denise and her husband tragically lost their little girl Vienna without warning or explanation. SUDC- Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood is a little known condition even amongst the medical world and Dr. Denise now leads the way raising awareness of SUDC in the medical world and beyond in the memory of her precious daughter Vienna.
I cannot even start to imagine the pain that began for Dr. Denise and her family back in 2017. What I see is a woman who is fighting for her daughter and other families who have experienced the same tragedy while being a mother to her Vienna’s two siblings. Dr. Denise is honest and vulnerable when she tells her story. It is impossible not to be touched by what she says. By sharing her and Vienna’s story she is able to educate so many people, myself included about SUDC.
I hope that by sharing my interview with Dr. Denise I am able to spread the awareness of SUDC a little further and I’d ask that after reading this interview you the readers can share it a little further on too. Tell a colleague, start a discussion, it all helps. Please click on the links to explore this subject even more and be part of a movement of awareness.
Dr. Karen: What does being a physician mean to you?
Dr. Denise: I get to educate about medical conditions, helping others strive toward good health, and I am a trusted source for honest, medical information and opinions.
Dr. Karen: It’s safe to say you are one very busy lady! What tips do you have for successfully juggling being a mom, physician, Founder of Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness Inc and the Team USA Volleyball physician?
Dr. Denise: It’s challenging—some days more than others. My husband Mike Savino helps when he can, depending on his busy work schedule. My first and most important job is being a mom to my 3 Vs (my kids)- 2 on earth and 1 in heaven. I have only 1 chance to do a great job to raise them to be world citizens and the best people they can be. I don’t get much sleep, and I definitely burn the candle at both ends! Luckily, I have a lot of innate energy that helps me through— however it does fluctuate depending on my grief regarding my daughter Vienna’s death.
Dr. Karen: What is your favourite thing to do at home?
Dr. Denise: Play with my kids, spend time with my family, play guitar, sing and dance with my husband, listen to music, and learn about the history of bands (I love the “Behind the Music” series).
Dr. Karen: What is your favourite thing to do at work?
Dr. Denise: Educate my patients about their health problems and answer questions they may have, and also learn about their work and hobbies. I always learn something new at work from my patients! It could be about history, culture, geography, politics, animals, anything!
Dr. Karen: If you had a bonus day free from all commitments and responsibilities, you were fully rested and could do anything you wished, what would you do?
Dr. Denise: Rent a cabin among snow-peaked mountains, snowboard during the day, roast marshmallows over a campfire, make s’mores, and then watch a mountain climbing movie drinking my favorite Starbucks hot chocolate.
Dr. Karen: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Dr. Denise: Own less stuff. Don’t take life or myself too seriously, still work hard, but be more laid back and go with the flow (like I feel I do now… especially since Vienna died in 2017—everything is now “before Vienna died”, and “after Vienna died”.)
Dr. Karen: Tell me a bit about being the Team USA Volleyball Physician.
Dr. Denise: I am one of the international team physicians for USA Volleyball. I have been involved with USA Volleyball/FIVB for 11 years. I have traveled to Peru, Guatemala, Canada, and Cuba for tournaments with the Men’s and Women’s Junior National Volleyball Teams (in between years of having our 3 kids during that stretch of time). I over-prepare medically and I try to over-prepare the team for travel (especially when It’s a less developed country) to try and prevent any major medical issues.
During the tournament, I always ensure Team USA is taken care of first, since they are my main responsibility, then if any other country’s teams/referees need help, I assist them.
I feel very honored and humbled that I have the privilege of representing Team USA. Traveling with a USA team is always the highlight of my year.
Dr. Karen: What do you have to put in place at home before you travel with the team?
Dr. Denise: Kid coverage is always the biggest issue, especially when my husband is at work. I create a detailed schedule and a list so nothing is forgotten.
A TON of medical gear- I must bring everything with me since we travel to less developed countries who most times do not have what I need.
Dr. Karen: Have you learnt anything about yourself over the course of the pandemic?
Dr. Denise: Reaffirmed: If you do not have your health, nothing else truly matters. People are what matter the most.
Our family was too busy in our “pre-pandemic” world. We needed to slow down and enjoy each other’s company more. We definitely have done that since our youngest daughter Vienna died suddenly and unexpectedly on 11-12-17 (SUDC- Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood), but we need to do it more. It’s easy to get caught up in life and continue on the hamster wheel that goes on forever, without a break. When else in our lifetime will we be forced to slow down, spend more time with family, try new things, rarely drive, truly focus on the essentials?
We have tried to explore other avenues as a family to make life interesting during this unprecedented time. I like to think of this time in our human history as a challenge—are we going to band together, be positive, create ways to improve ourselves, and teach our kids to be resilient, and cope with less than desirable circumstances? I choose this way. Or are we going to be a victim and teach our kids to be victims of this pandemic?
When faced with adversity, we try to teach our Vs to take action, don’t complain, stay focused, and keep emotions at bay (at least for the moment)—emotions during crisis clouds judgement and focus— there will be time to cry later.
Dr. Karen: Tell me about Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness.
Dr. Denise: My youngest daughter, Vienna Carly Savino fell asleep on the carpet in our family room while watching TV at home and never woke up. My husband and I, despite both of us being physicians, never heard of SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood) until it happened to us. Because of the lack of awareness/education/research for SUDC, Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness, Inc. was created.
I am the Founder and President of our family’s 501c3 nonprofit, Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness, Inc. Team Vienna’s mission is awareness/education/research support of SUDC while honoring my daughter Vienna. I am a very active volunteer in all aspects of the nonprofit, especially with the medical education aspect and giving Medical Grand Rounds (presentations) at medical schools and hospitals. We do not learn about SUDC in our education, so it’s imperative that the medical community and the general public know about SUDC to propel the cause forward and help physicians help their patients who experience child loss.
I am hopeful that education will also ignite young physicians and researchers to want to do SUDC research. In addition, I founded the annual Vienna’s Day of International SUDC Awareness, which had Team Vienna representation on all 7 continents for the 2nd year in a row in May 2020. We have had a lot of local media attention which has been fantastic, however, we are looking to expand our media to other parts of the country and beyond. If anyone can please help us out with that, it would be greatly appreciated! The end goal is to discover causes of SUDC, and prevent other families from experiencing our own personal tragedy. Thank you!
All of Team Vienna’s articles can be found here .
Because working together as a team and combining resources accelerates awareness, education and research of SUDC, a fellow SUDC mom from Colorado and I co-founded The SUDC Coalition. This is a welcoming group of non-profits, individuals, parents, physicians, researchers, companies, etc. who care about SUDC and wish to be involved in this fight to get answers for these unexplained deaths of apparently healthy kids 1-18 years old.
Dr. Karen: For physicians or anyone in healthcare who are unfamiliar with SUDC what would you like them to know.
Dr. Denise: My daughter Vienna fell asleep on the carpet in our family room while watching TV at home and never woke up. My husband and I were driving home from a day wedding at the time of the horrible phone call. Despite my husband and I being physicians, we learned about SUDC – Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, in the worst way possible, when it happened to us.
SUDC is a category of death in kids 1-18 years old, that is still unexplained after a thorough investigation, including an autopsy, medical record review, and death investigation. Even her genetic studies (as part of a research study), did not reveal a cause of death. As part of the research, all organ systems were studied in significant detail, including her brain. It is almost 3 years since my precious daughter died, and we still do not have a cause.
I work tirelessly for Vienna’s legacy, and I will not rest until I have a cause for her death, and the death of so many other healthy kids. When your child dies, nothing is ever the same.
Links etc for Team Vienna and Dr. Denise
Click here to visit the SUDC Coalition page
Click here to visit Team Vienna 4 SUDC awareness Facebook Page
Follow the Team Vienna 4 SUDC Awareness on Instagram: @teamvienna4sudcawareness
Follow Dr. Denise on LinkedIn: Dr. Denise Wunderler, DO, FAOASM