My name is Melissa and in the picture above I am there with my twins, Aubree & Jordan while they were in the NICU. They were born @ 25 weeks, 4 days gestation; which is nearly 15 weeks premature. Up until then, I had a healthy, normal pregnancy. Our daughter was born weighing 1 lb 9 oz and our son was born weighing 1 lb 15 oz. To give a mental image of how small that really was, my husband′s wedding band fit around our daughter′s arm for over a month and it looked like a bracelet on her. Our son was about the length of two adult hands. Like with many micro preemies, our children endured MANY obstacles and challenges, and even surgeries during their NICU stay. As their parents, we endured a roller coaster ride like nothing we have ever experienced before. After 93 and 99 days, our children graduated from the NICU and finally came home, both beating my original due date!
I am very happy to report that today; they are happy, energetic and HEALTHY 5 year olds!!! Strangers who hear our story can′t believe it and say they would never have known how small and sick our twins really were at birth. They are indeed our “miracles” and we are truly blessed and extremely grateful.
This will be our 5th year of having a Family Team, raising money for and walking in the March for Babies event for the March of Dimes. We share in the hope that one day all babies will be born healthy. We strongly support this wonderful cause not only to give back for the help they have given our family, but also for all moms-to-be. It is our hope that someday, no mother or family will experience the pain and heartache of having a baby too soon or with birth defects. And we know that March of Dimes is at the forefront for finding the answers.
The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
