Marla Dillard-Lemons

I want help prevent premature births, birth defects, and infant mortality. Please read my story : It was October and I was finally entering the third trimester from my first child. Everything was going well and I was looking forward to meeting my baby, who was due in mid February. At work I began experiencing abdominal pain, and thought it a part of being pregnant. I went to the hospital when it got worse, told I was in preterm labor, and put on bedrest. On November 19th my water broke in the middle of the night, and when I got the the hospital, the doctors told me that I would not be going home until I delivered. The baby wasn't due until February! The Specialists came in for consultations and gave us the various options and odds for survival (20% chance if born that night ...the longer he stayed in the womb, the better). The Team set up a plan that included a series of 4 steroid treatments injected into me, in order to strengthen the babies underdeveloped lungs. They started the first dose immediately, and were not sure if the baby would stay in long enough to benefit from all four. By the Grace of God all four were administered. The Team tried to keep the baby in for as long as possible, weighing the risk of both mother and baby's lives due to infections. At 5:09 am, on December 9, 1996, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Evan was 14.5 inches long , 1070 grams or 2 lbs. 4 ounces. He was taken to NICU where he would stay until reached 4 lbs. When he finally came home he had a monitor with him for apnea (in the event he forgot to breath). It has been a long journey, that included many doctor and hospital visits, as well as therapies. My son’s name means “strong warrior” which fits, because he fought so hard to live and grow healthy. Please make an online donation to help prevent babies being born too soon. Thank you, Marla Dillard-Lemons