4-month-old 'Bernie Baby' dies suddenly
A four-month-old baby, whose Bernie Sanders getup brought smiles to many, has died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Admirers dubbed Oliver Jack Carter Lomas-Davis of Los Angeles the "Bernie Baby" after his mom posted photos of his adorable costume on social media. Lomas-Davis had a chance to meet Sen. Sanders at a Las Vegas event on Feb. 14. He was dressed in thick-rimmed glasses and white hair -- characteristics that have become synonymous with the Democratic candidate.
He died on Feb. 25, his aunt Anastasia Lomas told The Associated Press.
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The baby's mother, Susan Lomas, was an avid Sanders supporter and had posted photos of her son dressed up as a tiny version of the politician to her Facebook and Twitter pages for weeks.
Although many parents across the country have been sharing photos of their "Babies for Bernie," Oliver was a huge hit when his mom brought him to a campaign event in Las Vegas. People posed for photos with him, posting to social media with the hashtag #BernieBaby.
The candidate himself even had a chance to meet Oliver. After the event, Sanders picked him up and smiled as he admired the tot's outfit.
"Oliver was happy, joyful and full of love, and he shared that with everyone he came into contact with," his aunt told the AP on Thursday. "He was extremely healthy and was tragically taken too early by SIDS."
Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said the candidate has been informed of Oliver's passing, and the campaign is planning to issue a statement.
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Funeral services are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Church of the Hills.
GoFundMe page was created by the family to help pay for funeral expenses, and had already received more than $22,000 by Friday morning.
Additional information from the Associated Press.
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Topics Bernie Sanders Elections
Megan Specia was Mashable's Assistant Real-Time News Editor and joined the team in September 2014. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism & Mass Communications from the University of New Hampshire after growing up in the Jersey 'burbs. She made her way to New York via a four year stopover in Dublin. Megan previously worked as a journalist and editor at Storyful in both Dublin and New York. Before all of that, though, her claim to fame was as head cake arranger and purveyor of all things sweet at Queen of Tarts cafe in Dublin, where she developed a serious addiction to macarons.
