My friends Heather and Mike experienced firsthand the nightmare of having a premature baby, a nightmare that sadly continues for many families even after their baby successfully leaves the NICU. After Madeline's premature birth, Heather and Mike swore they would do what they could to help other families whose babies faced the same battle. Their resolve only grew after Maddie passed, and as their friend, I am part of a support network that fervently supports the March of Dimes - a wonderful organization that gave Heather & Mike much support in their time of need as they do for many parents and families.

The March of Dimes focuses on improving the health of premature babies, and thanks in part to their efforts babies like Maddie have a far greater chance of survival than they did just a few short years ago. There is still a lot that can be done, however, to give every premature baby a fighting chance to survive.The March for Babies will take place this year on April 28th in Los Angeles, and I am very excited to once again take part.

By participating, we are helping The March of Dimes champion the needs of families and babies in our community and across the nation. The money we raise for March for Babies will support lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy that help babies get a healthy start.

We share the same goal as the March of Dimes: That one day, every baby will be born healthy.Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. I'm walking in March for Babies because I want to do something about this. And I need your help.

Please support my walk. Making a secure donation is easy: just click the 'donate now' button on this page. Thank you for helping me give all babies a healthy start!

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.