Mae was born via emergency c-section at just 25 weeks and 3 days gestational age. Her 3.5 month early arrival was due to a sudden onset of severe pre-eclampsia, a wintery weekend surprise in an otherwise uneventful pregnancy. After a 127 day stay in the NICU, almost 4 months of breathing support, chronic lung disease of prematurity, a blood transfusion, a dip into and then back out of stage 3 retinopathy, and more medical care than most people receive in their lifetime, Mae came home with us on a beautiful summer day. We’re happy to share that at two, Mae is healthy and thriving, and continues to receive the most amazing care from her medical specialists, friends, family, and our community. We were lucky. We brought Mae home. We had access to OBs, neonatologists, nurses, specialists, and wraparound care that gave us the best possible chance of a successful outcome. We also had the support of families, friends, our workplace, and our community. But this experience opened our eyes to the risk that pregnancy poses to mothers and babies. With preterm birth and maternal death rates continuing to rise, we’re committed to the work that March of Dimes supports so that every family gets the best possible start. marchforbabies.org/team/mightymae