MARCH FOR BABIES: A MOTHER OF A MOVEMENT™


 

Coastal Connecticut StepUp

Raised to date
$36,753
Our goal $150,000
 
Walk Your Way
1875 Noble Avenue , Bridgeport, CT 06610
Date: Friday, May 15, 2020 6:00 PM
 
Date: May 15, 2020
Event Time: 06:00 PM
Registration Time: 5:00PM
Location:
1875 Noble Avenue , Bridgeport, CT 06610
Walk Your Way

Important Update

Our March for Babies celebration is still on, but it looks a little different! We are rapidly preparing for a new, virtualized event that will be fun and engaging for everyone. This change in format aligns with the newly released CDC guidance for large events, to help ensure the safety and health of our participants. More details on our new format to come soon!

 
 
 
 
ABOUT MARCH FOR BABIES

THE MONEY YOU RAISE MAKES AN IMPACT

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, moms and babies can’t wait. Delivery can’t wait.

 

By joining March for Babies Step Up! you are helping moms and babies across the country, during a time when it’s needed most. Thanks to you we are adding new programs and resources to help families during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

 

Your fundraising supports:

 

  • Free virtual NICU support program for families
  • Virtual prenatal programs for moms-to-be
  • COVID-19 interventions and support for moms and babies
  • Educational programs, including live Facebook panel discussions, to get info into hands of moms and families
  • Necessary supplies for expectant mothers including blood pressure cuffs and masks

and so much more!

 

There are so many ways to join March for Babies Step Up!

  1. Register here at marchforbabies.org by clicking "JOIN THIS EVENT".
  2. After registering, you can download the app to participate in our step-tracking challenges.
  3. Start stepping and share your story using #MarchforBabies and #MFBStepUp! You can use our fun social tools to help you spread the word!
  4. Request pledges from friends and family – don’t be shy!
  5. And don’t forget to make your own donation!

You can earn fun March of Dimes fundraising rewards – now through August 15!

 

And don’t forget - March of Dimes is here to serve as a resource for you, providing the latest information on COVID-19 on our webpage. You can also learn about our newly launched COVID-19 Intervention and Support Fund to ensure families stay informed about COVID-19, and that interventions are developed with moms and babies top of mind and then distributed so everyone across our country has access. Find more here.

 

EXPERIENCE PROGRESS* $36,753 RAISED (As of Thursday, Mar 28, 2024)

Raised: $36,753

 
Top fundraisers
 
1
Perry Kimlin
$3,756
2
Karissa McLaurin-Watkins
$2,805
3
Kelly Perkins
$1,245
4
Cara Cappalli-Davey
$1,098
5
Courtney Dolecki
$1,031
Top family teams
 
1
March of Dimes Awareness Campaign
$3,756
2
Tiny But Mighty Jacee
$2,805
3
Missal Family
$2,106
4
Clara Dolecki
$1,326
5
Team Joseph Thomas
$1,098
Company, School & Org
 
1
JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA - CT
$1,247
2
YALE NEW HAVEN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$1,138
3
ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY - CT
$1,099
 
*The total amount displayed reflects the amount on the team or personal fundraising progress bar. If the progress bar is not displayed on the team or personal page, the team/person won't be displayed on the leaderboard. Leaderboard totals reflect cash and checks marked "received" on the online sponsor form as well as credit card and PayPal donations. Team captains can enter as cash and mark "received" any money raised through promotions, such as bake sales and casual days and any sponsorship money paid to the March of Dimes, on their team's online form. Record all donations on your online sponsor form before you turn in cash and checks to the March of Dimes!
 

2020 Coastal Connecticut Ambassador Family

 

 

The Carroll Family

Raiden & Jayce started as mono-di twins, developed twin to twin transfusion syndrome which has a 95% mortality rate when left untreated, where one twin receives more blood flow and amniotic fluid than the other. The short version, one had too much, the other had too little and both were at great risk. I had corrective procedures at 23 weeks to slow progression of TTS and remove excess fluid as result of TTS, which was causing preterm labor. During the procedures, the membrane that divided their amniotic sac ruptured and left them in the same sac, making them “mono mono” twins, a risky type of twin pregnancy where they are exposed to each other, and their umbilical cords. I remained at Yale for a month on constant monitoring for their heart rates, because what can and did happen, is mono-mono twins can tangle their cords and send them into distress. Their heart rates were dropping and I was rushed into an emergency C-section, when they pulled them out, the doctors discovered they had tied a perfect knot. My NICU experience was like a huge storm with all the clouds having silver lining. It was the hardest, scariest, and most traumatic experience I could ever imagine, but at the same time, there was no place I would have rather been. Our hospital and support team was incredible. The twins had a “typical” NICU stay for 27 weekers, as typical as it can be. We struggled with infections, proper management and progress with their oxygen support and lung development, moving forward and holding off with feeds and feeding tubes as their digestive system struggled to develop on the outside. Their setbacks were minor, but many. It was as so many say, a rollercoaster. Slowly, but surely, their development continued and we checked off all the boxes to come home, but learning to be in tune with their needs, while understanding that even as twins they’d have their own timeline and write their own story was a learning curve for me. I wanted healthy, caught up, to hear “they’re ok” as soon as possible. But as much as everything could change in a moment in the NICU, some things just had to take time. One of the hardest things of having micro preemies is that without a specific “problem” to address, there is no one solution. There is one event, one definition, with unpredictable problems and even less predictable solutions. Eventually we let go of ventilators, feeding tubes, bilirubin lights and worked our way up to open cribs, tube free celebrations, and finally “wireless” babies. But strangely, a place where so many scary and traumatizing things had happened had become home and leaving was harder than I was prepared for. Yale’s team of doctors, nurses, and specialists is incredible, and made a scary and delicate time for both myself and the twins as stable and reassuring as I could have ever hoped for. Raiden & Jayce have struggled with lung development, asthma, and a weaker immune system since NICU discharge. We had frequent ER trips, as a cold for most of us turned quickly into bronchiolitis or pneumonia for them. They qualified for early intervention services where we received a home nurse, physical therapy, and occupational therapy for the first few years until they transitioned into a development program with our school system. It’s taken all 5 years of development, several specialists, and a whole lot of antibacterial to get their lungs and immune systems strong enough to handle public places, schools, and colds without hospitalizations. They still struggle with asthma, but with an incredible team of doctors outside of the NICU, we have a good handle on it and know to act quickly and aggressively to get them returned to being normal 5 year old boys as fast as possible and prevent issues during cold and flu season the best we can. They’ve had developmental delays and low muscle tone affecting their fine and gross motor skills. This was hard for them as they struggled to match their abilities with their needs and desires. At their latest PPT meeting at school, I laughed after their development assessment was reviewed that I never thought I’d be so happy to see a “report card” that described them as average. They still have areas to fine tune and grow in, but the obstacles they’ve overcome in the last few years have been in leaps and bounds. -Heather Johnson, 2020 Ambassador Mom of twins Raiden & Jayce, Parker, & Ethan


Rewards

 
$100
- Early Bird! “Wear Your Why” button for $100 online by 8 weeks before your event
$100
- Official March for Babies event t-shirt
$250
- March for Babies camp mug OR bamboo lunchbox + event t-shirt
$500
- March for Babies Game Day Jersey OR Game Day Stool + event t-shirt
$500
- Personalized "Why I Walk" sign displayed on the walk route
$1,000
- Champion for Babies Medal + pullover OR bluetooth speaker + event t-shirt
$2,500
- Champion for Babies Medal + duffel OR fleece + event t-shirt
$5,000
- Champion for Babies Medal + vest OR 1/2 zip shirt + event t-shirt
$7,500
- Champion for Babies Medal + rain jacket OR 2-person seat + event t-shirt
$10,000
- Champion for Babies Medal + Beats headphones OR heat vest + event t-shirt
 

 

NATIONAL PARTNERS

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