In 2009 we will celebrate 40 years since John's premature birth, three weeks early at a tiny four pounds on December 5, 1969. Thanks to the work of the March of Dimes, this type of prematurity is not as scary for today's parents as it was for John's, who wondered what each day would bring for more than two weeks before they brought him home finally just before Christmas.

2009 will also mark five years since Will was born, October 26, 2004, fifteen and a half weeks early. He fought hard for 12 weeks and 4 days, but finally faced too many challenges and died on January 22, 2005.

His life taught us all that every birth is a miracle, that even the smallest and most fragile among us can have an impact, that we've come a long way in our knowledge and understanding of how to care for premature babies, and that we still have a long way to go.

In honor of these two milestones, we are hoping to have 40 members of Team Kenyon, walking 5 miles in the March for Babies.

Every year, half a million babies in the U.S. are born prematurely. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and many life long disabilities. The funds we raise in the March for Babies support research that saves babies' lives.

Thank you for supporting Team Kenyon as we take steps in the hope that other families will only experience our joy and never our pain.

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