MARCH FOR BABIES: A MOTHER OF A MOVEMENT™
Greater Charlotte
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Symphony Park
4400 Sharon Rd , Charlotte, NC 28211
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024 12:00 PM
4400 Sharon Rd , Charlotte, NC 28211
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024 12:00 PM
Greater Charlotte Ambassador Family
The Hamp Family
The Hamp Family
Our parenting story started with the birth of our then 1 pound, 6 ounce son, Colin. A medically-challenging pregnancy resulted in the intrauterine growth restriction of our son. As a result, he stopped growing at 23 weeks, and was delivered via an urgent C-section at 27 weeks. Just prior to his birth, we were told the best case scenario for our son was that he would likely have major developmental delays (cognitive and physical) - if he survived at all.
Colin spent the next 4 months in the NICU, hitting both roadblocks and milestones along the way. There we learned about all the research that March of Dimes funds which helps premature babies. We also witnessed the support they gave to NICU families in the form of goody bags, sponsored meals, and arranging for former families to come and speak to NICU parents about their journey. All of this made us realize how necessary the work of March of Dimes is.
Once we brought Colin home, our journey presented further difficulties. Colin struggled keeping his feeds down and was not growing. At 7 months, he was diagnosed with “failure to thrive” due to a poorly functional upper GI system. A gastrostomy tube was surgically placed. This allowed Colin to start gaining some weight and helped him grow once again. Colin spent the first several years of his life continuing in feeding, speech and occupational therapies, both in and out of state, in addition to wearing a medical backpack that housed a feeding pump and bag that provided for a continuous feed throughout the day.
We have remained thankful for all the help we received and decided we could not wait to give back. One of those ways was to support the March for Babies annual walk and so began our family walking team, Team Colin Hamp. Nearly 15 years later, it is an event that continues to fill our souls.
Though we still have our challenges, we are acutely aware that Colin has far exceeded his prognosis. Not only has he overcome most of his delays, he continues to be a kind-hearted, incredibly intelligent young man with goals of one day becoming a doctor himself, having the grades, drive and motivation to hopefully get there someday. Future Dr. Colin Hamp hopes to share with patients and their families that he was once a premature baby, and that with proper interventions and assistance, not every prognosis has to come true. Providing hope - much like the March of Dimes does to the communities it serves - goes a long way to make people’s lives that much better.
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