Myesha Mebane

Like so many women, I looked forward to the day that I could hold my newborn daughter. She was term (38 weeks) and for the entire gestational period, the doctors told me that she was healthy. She had a strong heart beat and everything seemed to be developing properly. When the day came, and I heard her cry I felt relief but the whisked her away to ICU where she stayed until she was transported to LeBonheur in Memphis, TN. I never got to hold her. Days later, I was released from the hospital and I rushed to the LeBonheur only to see my newborn baby in PICU connected to wires and tubes. Her diagnosis, Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia. After her first open heart surgery at just a few days old, she was moved to NICU for 29 additional days. She had to learn to feed and at first, failed to thrive.

Laurel does well now after more procedures and open heart surgeries and a move to California for the optimal weather. She walks too.
 

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.