March of Dimes is a very personal cause for me.
My first son was born at a hospital that was not prepared to deal with moms going into labor prematurely, and certainly not prepared to deal with a baby that was born early. They couldn't figure out how to keep my wife from giving birth so early, and my son was born at 22 weeks gestation weighing less than a pound He lived for five minutes. He would've turned seventeen last October. There's still a hole in my heart from losing him that will never go away.
My second son was born at a hospital well-versed in caring for moms going into labor prematurely and babies born way too soon. My wife was under direct care for weeks before delivery. Meds whose development was supported by March of Dimes were administered during that time to help my son's lungs develop. When he was born, at 28 weeks gestation, he weighed 2 pounds, 1.4 ounces, and went to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. More medications supported by the March of Dimes helped him survive and develop.
My second son is now 11 years old and is an intelligent, talented and charismatic kid, thanks in part to the March of Dimes (and the great staff at St. Peter's Hospital). He's not only academically gifted, but he's also quite talented at dancing, playing musical instruments, acting and performing arts in general. He wants to design theme parks when he grows up, and I don't doubt that he'll do it.
But my sons are only two of the millions of stories to be told about premature babies. Thousands are born every day. Some are lucky, like my second son. Some are not. Many who survive still suffer from many medical conditions and need a great deal of help to live what even approximates normal lives.
I walk for the March of Dimes because I want to help prevent premature births, and to help support cures and care for the afflictions of those that are born prematurely. Parents should take their children home from the hospital, not to the cemetery.
In 2008, together we raised over $5,000. Last year, the economy shrunk that number. Let's see if we can get back to that $5,000 mark. And if you'd like to help out with raising money on your own, sign up and join Team MousePlanet! Just click the "Walk With Me" button above! Our team goal is $10,000. Join me and help be a part of saving babies!
The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
