Nicola Baer

...I march for Owen Joseph Baer!...and Annabelle, Rhys, Madeline and Violet (a few of Owen's NICU friends) and for every baby fighting their battle against prematurity. As many of you already know, Owen was born at 28 weeks and 2 days, every second of his 94 day NICU stay was scary and amazing at the same time. Seeing how strong Owen was at a mere 2lbs 10oz was what kept me strong. We'll never stop being strong and never stop fighting the battle against prematurity! #fightforlife#ourfightforlife

Premature birth (birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and its complications are the #1 cause of death of babies in the United States. Babies who survive premature birth often have long-term health problems, including cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss. In the United States, about 380,000 babies are born prematurely each year. The preterm birth rate (the percent of babies born before 37 weeks each year) is 9.8 percent in the United States. This means 1 in 10 babies is born too soon. The U.S. preterm birth rate is among the worst of high-resource nations. The funds I raise enable March of Dimes to support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy that truly makes a difference to families in our community and across the country. If you believe, like I do, that every baby deserves the best possible start, please march with me or make a donation to support this community effort. Together we can fight for the health of all moms and babies.