Anna Tupy

My journey as a mother began this January with a deeply challenging experience when my first child, Javier (Javi), was born prematurely at 27 weeks. His birth was completely unexpected—there were no preexisting medical conditions, no traumatic events, and no warning signs. The doctors diagnosed it as an unexplained placental abruption, a condition I had never heard of before, and one for which there is very little education. This sudden and unexplained complication led to his early arrival. Javi spent over 10 weeks in the NICU at VHC, under 24 hour care by the NICU nurses and doctors. During that time he learned to breathe, eat, and regulate his body temperature—basic functions he would have been developing in the womb. Watching him struggle through every small milestone, and often taking steps backward, was heart-wrenching for me as a parent. I’ll never forget the NICU nurses—wonderful, compassionate people who helped me through that uncertain and difficult time. Their support made an immense difference, and I hope to carry that same empathy and compassion with me through the years and instill it in my son. This experience profoundly impacted me, and it’s why I’m joining March of Dimes and the March for Babies. I want to support continued research to help mothers and babies like Javi—because no family should have to face such uncertainty and difficulty alone.