March to Help Babies
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature births and infant mortality. The Good Samaritan Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) provides tender patient-centered care for newborns that require extra attention.
This year, two NICU graduate families are representing the 2015 March of Dimes as Ambassador Families for March for Babies:
- Bass family: Ambassador Family for the Cincinnati March of Dimes
- Weisenberger family: Ambassador Family for the Clermont County Walk
What is March for Babies?
March for Babies is the March of Dimes biggest fundraiser and America’s favorite walking event. The money raised supports the March of Dimes mission to help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies have a healthy start.
What You Should Know
In Ohio:
- 139,128 babies are born each year
- 17,007 babies are born prematurely
- 4,220 babies are born with a birth defect
- Preventing premature birth in Ohio could mean an annual savings of up to $878 Million
The Weisenberger Family Story
Story submitted by the Weisenberger family
We were told we would deliver early. I was put on home bed rest at 20 weeks as a precautionary step. I was admitted to the hospital at 28 weeks. When our girls were born 8 weeks early we were told to expect the worse in terms of what could happen and how long they would be in the hospital for.
Eve weighed 3 lbs, 5oz at birth. She is fraternal. She suffered Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) within the first 24 hours of life and was put on a ventilator. She received two doses of surfactant over the next 48 hours as we waited to see if her lungs would react positively and start working on their own.
Emma weighed 3 lbs, 9 oz. at birth. She is identical. Similar to Eva, she suffered RDS within the first 48 hour of life and was put on a ventilator. I can remember hearing her cries and then seeing her intubated. She was trying to cry but made no sound, it was heartbreaking. She also needed two doses of surfactant to get her lungs working on their won and was graduated several days later to CPAP, nasal cannula and room air.
Ellie weighed 1 lbs, 15 oz. at birth. She is identical. She suffered IUGR, TTTS, and AEDF. She was receiving 30% of the placenta compared to Emma having 70%. I was told when I was on bed rest we might have to sacrifice her to save her sisters. Ironically, all three were born to save her. She was on high calorie formula, she did well breathing on CPAP and nasal cannula and she suffered jaundice.
All the girls are considered within the 0-10% percentiles for weight, and are all thriving, smiling and happy children today. My children live because of the surfactant therapies developed by the March of Dimes. I’ll never be able to fully thank or repay what has been done for my children. The girls live because someone walked before me. Someone that I’ll never know to thank believed in helping premature babies and raised money that helped fund the therapies that benefited my children. I walk in hopes that the money I raise today can help the babies born tomorrow or even years from now. I want every baby to have the best start to life. I never want a mother to leave the hospital with empty arms and a broken heart. That is why I am compelled to help!!