FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Amila was a bright and bubbly little girl with a big smile and round cheeks.
On May 8, 2018, Linda Barreto unexpectedly lost her young daughter.
Her husband, Ramon, had just come home when he noticed something was wrong.
“He brings her over to the living room, and she’s still warm,” Linda said. “I start giving her CPR, and Ramon calls 911. We’re pleading with 911 to please send someone as fast as they can.”
First responders rushed Amila to the hospital, but weren’t able to resuscitate her.
Amila had only been alive for 164 days before unexpectedly passing away to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
The loss was heartbreaking.
“That is the definition of feeling like the rug is pulled out from under your feet,” Linda said. “It really did feel like the world stopped.”
SIDS is the sudden death of a baby under 1 year old, and there is no known cause, even after a full investigation by healthcare providers and the coroner’s office.
According to the CDC, in 2022, just over 1,500 toddlers died from SIDs.
“In California, Fresno County has one of the higher numbers,” says Linda Hicks, SIDS Coordinator for the Fresno County Health Department.
It’s still unclear what causes SIDs.
Hicks explains that there are ways families can reduce the risk.
“We want babies to be sleeping alone, which means you’re not bed sharing,” she said.
Hicks adds babies should also sleep on their back and keep them in a safe sleep area, like a crib.
While Amila will remain forever young, her legacy lives on.
Linda took that pain and turned it into action and created the Amlia Rey Foundation.
Their mission is to share joy.
“We have done different types of drives,” she said. “When it was Fresno Unified, we had done books and blankets.”
Six years after all the grief and losing Amila, the family welcomed baby Alex in December 2024.
She sees Amila’s spirit in Alex.
Linda wants families to know there is help and resources available for families who’ve lost a baby to SIDS, and they are not alone in their grief.
For news updates, follow Ana Torrea on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Copyright © 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.