Phyllis Sudman
Plymouth Meeting resident Phyllis Sudman has been named the 2014 National Woman of Worth by L’Oréal Paris for her outstanding work with Simon’s Fund, a nonprofit she co-founded after losing her 3-month-old son, Simon, to an undetected heart condition. The Fund raises awareness about the warning signs and conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in children.
Over 3,400 were nominated for this honor. Ten were selected as honorees, and one was chosen as the National Woman of Worth. The Honorees were celebrated on December 2, at a star-studded event held at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Each of the 10 women were introduced by someone special – Eva Longoria, Mike Brzezinski, Andie MacDowell, Julianne Moore, Hoda Kotb, Blake Lively and others. Phyllis was introduced by actress and Allentown native Aimee Mullins.
As the 2014 National Woman of Worth, Phyllis will receive $35,000 for Simon’s Fund. She will also join a long list of distinguished women, including Risa Ferman, Montgomery County District Attorney, who have held this esteemed title.
“It is an incredible honor to be named the L’Oréal Paris 2014 National Woman of Worth for the work I am doing to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and death in children,” said Phyllis Sudman, co-founder of Simon’s Fund. “The money will help us check hearts and save lives, but the relationships I made will last a lifetime. Sharing the stage, laughter and tears with the nine other courageous and selfless women who are making their communities a better place was the real prize.”
“Each year, we are moved and inspired by the thousands of powerful stories we receive through the Women of Worth nomination process. These women are wielding their passion to make an incredible impact on their communities, and beyond,” said L’Oréal Paris President, Karen T. Fondu. “The 2014 Women of Worth honorees are heroic, fearless and true changemakers who deserve to be celebrated, and their stories elevated, to inspire more women to make a difference in the lives of others.”
About Simon’s Fund
Simon’s Fund raises awareness about the warning signs and conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in children. It has provided free heart screenings to over 10,000 students. Of those tested, approximately 100 students have discovered potentially fatal heart conditions. It was behind the passage of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act in Pennsylvania, the first law in the country to protect student athletes from sudden cardiac arrest. With the help of Simon’s Fund, this law has been passed in five other states as well. The organization recently launched HeartBytes, the first-of-its-kind youth cardiac registry for seemingly healthy kids in an effort to promote research.