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Our Story:
At 12:19am on January 10, 2002, Benjamin Michael Weaver was born two and a half months early. He was 14 inches long and only weighed 1 lb, 15.3 oz. I was in the operating room when the doctor pulled him out, and I watched as nurses began cleaning him off. The baby′s cry was not strong, though it was present – a soft, almost whisper of a cry. I got to see him for just a few minutes before he was put into an incubator and rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
With a premature birth, parents often experience many emotions, with one of those being fear – fear that the baby may not make it. My wife and I were no different. In fact, due to the anesthesia that my wife had been given during her surgery, she could not even remember if Ben had made it through the birth. I tried to convince her that he was fine, even though I didn′t really know myself.
Ben would spend the next two months in the NICU as doctors and nurses worked around the clock to take care of him. During that time, one or both of us would drive to the hospital almost daily to spend time with Ben. Sometimes my wife and I would go together, but often we went separately due to my work schedule. The procedure was always the same, and it became habit to us after the first few visits. Arrive at the hospital. Buzz in to the NICU. Wash and scrub hands and forearms. Put on the face mask and gown. Go visit Ben. That was our routine for about two months.
Now, fast forward 10 years to today. If you didn't know any better, you'd never know that Ben was born premature. He acts just like any other 10-year-old boy – and he gets into trouble just like one, too. He′s a very smart and active kid, and he′s a wonderful big brother to his little sister.
Unfortunately, not all stories end with a happy ending like this one. That′s why I′m marching for babies, and I ask that you get involved as well. The March of Dimes helps fund much needed research regarding premature births, birth defects, and infant fatalities so that hopefully, in the future, fewer parents will have to go through the hype and scare that my wife and I experienced in 2002. After all, having a new baby is emotional enough, especially when it′s your first.
The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
