MARCH FOR BABIES: A MOTHER OF A MOVEMENT™
Iowa City
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Coralville Marriott
1900 Country Club Drive , Coralville, IA 52241
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2014 9:00 AM
1900 Country Club Drive , Coralville, IA 52241
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2014 9:00 AM
Our ambassador
Meet the Christians Family
Meet the Christians Family
At 25 weeks pregnant with twins, my water broke and I was placed on bedrest with a whole host of medications to stop labor including steroids to develop the babies’ lungs. On March 18, 2003, the boys were delivered via c-section at just 26 ½ weeks. Gray and Dane were born just two minutes apart, both weighing only 2 lbs. 6 oz. On their second day of life, their grave conditions became apparent. Gray had developed severe brain hemorrhages on each side of his brain and also developed a stroke on his right side. He received a shunt to relieve his hydrocephalus. Dane was struggling with his heart, and had a PDA repair surgery just a few days later. During that surgery, he lost over 80% of his blood volume, and by amazing skill and grace he survived. Our recovery and NICU experience was a constant journey of a thousand slow and painful steps.
After 13 weeks in the NICU, we were discharged home on oxygen. The first two years were very challenging as well as isolating as we were dealing with therapies and follow-up surgeries. Even now, at 10 years old, we are still working through their prematurity. Gray has had two emergency shunt surgeries in the last 2 years and we know that his shunt function will be an ongoing concern for us. The boys are now in fourth grade and doing well. Many days, at home or school, we see reminders of their early arrival. But, even with all of that, we feel tremendously blessed with our fun, active, amazing boys.
We are so honored to be serving as this year’s Iowa City March for Babies Ambassador Family and to support the March of Dimes with our fundraising efforts. We don’t just support their research because some people have some trouble for a little while. We do this to prevent preterm birth and support healthy babies so no one ever has to know the long term effects of prematurity.
Watch more of our story on Facebook at: March of Dimes - Iowa Chapter.
Stacy, Kevin, Gray, Dane & Maeve Christians
NATIONAL PARTNERS
Thank you to our local sponsors