Mallory Horejs

I am walking in the 2025 March for Babies with a deeply personal purpose. 

While pregnant with our son Everett, I was diagnosed with a rare complication called vasa previa which required hospitalization for 24/7 monitoring and a late preterm C-section at 34 weeks. This was an extremely scary time for our family, but excellent prenatal care, diagnosis, and management made all the difference.  

Everett was born 6 weeks early in December 2023 and spent the first 3 weeks of his life in the Prentice NICU. He faced some health challenges due to his early arrival but received incredible medical care from his dedicated nurses and doctors and was able to come home right before Christmas. Today Everett is a healthy, happy toddler, always on the move, and we couldn't be more grateful!

Our family's experience has made me so passionate about supporting March of Dimes and their mission to improve the health of moms and babies. Preterm birth rates continue to rise and U.S. is one of the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth, especially for women and babies of color. The work March of Dimes does is critical. They fund research, provide resources, and advocate for families like mine—families who face the uncertainty and fear of premature birth and maternal health complications. 

Please consider donating to my fundraising page and supporting the Prentice NICU team! Together, we can help every family get the best possible start!