Carrie Gisondi

Nine years ago we did our first march for our little warrior, Wyatt. He surprised us all by deciding to make his debut at just 32 weeks and 6 days after a tumultuous 2 weeks of being in and out of the hospital with preeclampsia and then my water breaking! Weighing in at only 3 pounds 12 ounces, he came out, thankfully, breathing on his own thanks to the help of a steroid shot given a week before his birth. Shortly after Wyatt was born we learned that he needed surgery and had to be transferred to a different hospital immediately. On just his second day of life Wyatt underwent surgery for Tracheoesophageal fistula, connecting his esophagus to his stomach. Wyatt spent 35 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mount Sinai where he received the absolute best care we ever could have imagined. We are eternally grateful to the nurses and doctors that helped our little warrior learn to be baby and come home to us. We march so that ALL babies born early can come home to their families, just like our little man did. Wyatt is 8 years old now and thriving in 2nd grade! He loves playing with his brother, Bodhi, and snuggling his baby sister, all things airplanes and family movie nights with popcorn and hot chocolate.  I participate to help all moms and families experience the joy of a healthy baby. With nearly 4 million babies born each year, we have a lot of work to do to help them all. 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.