I was very lucky to have three babies due around their birth date. However, a lot of parents do not have the luxury of having babies delivered between 38-40 weeks. I know many babies that have been born as early as 24 weeks with a lot of complications. While I do not know what it is like to have a premature baby, I do know what it is like to have a baby who is the NICU. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever experienced when my baby was in the NICU. For many parents who have premature babies, their hospital stay can be weeks into months.
This is why I am so grateful for the wonderful organization, The March of Dimes. The March of Dimes plays a vital role in improving maternal and child health in communities. The March of Dimes helps moms to be have full term pregnancies and healthy babies. They advocate for programs to get care and services to improve the health of themselves and their babies.
In Rhode Island, there is a very supportive March of Dimes chapter. In Rhode Island itself, over 10,809 babies are born each year and 1,1010 babies are born prematurely, with 330 babies being born with birth defects. With this AMAZING chapter, almost every baby in Rhode Island receives a polio vaccine funded entirely by the March of Dimes. They also help to support the vaccination against 14 diseases.
Each year about 40 babies in Rhode Island receive life-saving surfactant therapy developed with funding by the March of Dimes. This is absolutely amazing but they need our support to keep their wonderful programs running. The money also helps to fund for the development of 4 of the 31 tests for inherited disorders. They are full advocators for newborn screening of all babies.
Please join us Saturday April 30th for the March of Babies Rhode Island walk at Colt State Park in Bristol, RI.
If you do not want to walk, please consider a donation to help this WONDERFUL program and all the babies in Rhode Island. I know every dollar counts and we would all be so appreciative! Click here to donate: March of Babies.
THANK YOU!