We were enjoying a vacation in Hawaii when, at 25 weeks pregnant, I began experiencing contractions as we drove to the airport to return home. What I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions was actually “cause-unknown preterm labor” resulting in a serious condition called placenta abruption. My placenta had begun to separate from the inner wall of my uterus, depriving my baby boy of oxygen and nutrients. Several hours later, Hudson Muir was born at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco. We were shocked and scared - everything happened so quickly. Hudson weighed just 1 lb., 1 oz. at birth. With the help of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) doctors and nurses, Hudson fought hard for 36 hours. Ultimately, he was just too premature to make it, and we had to let him go. Our baby slipped away with us by his side. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to hold him before he passed, and are grateful that we had even a little bit of time with him. A few months after Hudson’s tragic passing, we honored his memory by participating in the San Francisco March for Babies and raised more than $25,000. Our story, however, does not end there. When we learned we were pregnant with our second son, we were both excited and nervous. At 30 weeks, following a routine ultrasound, I started to feel contractions and returned to the hospital. Again, I was experiencing cause-unknown preterm labor. The doctors were able to hold off active labor for two days, long enough for me to receive steroids to help our son’s lungs develop. Labor was going smoothly until the very end when our baby’s heartrate unexpectedly dipped. Hunter James was born via emergency c-section on November 17, 2016. His delivery was traumatic, and the first few hours of his life were rocky. The thought of losing another son was hard to endure. Thankfully, after a few very scary days, Hunter rebounded, and after an uneventful 8 weeks in the CPMC NICU, he was able to come home. He is a happy, healthy 1-year-old, and we know that his brother, Hudson, is watching over him. Our family has been touched twice by premature birth, and we are committed to helping March of Dimes fight for healthy moms and strong babies.