Ray Voelker

Life can be full of curveballs—and full circles. That’s what makes it meaningful.

Forty years ago, I came into this world much like my daughter did. We’re both firstborns. We were both born on cold nights in the same month, just about a week apart. And we were both born prematurely.

My wife had just entered her 28th week of pregnancy, and everything had been going great. We were excited to become parents and had just started planning our baby girl’s nursery. Toward the end of the week, Taylor wasn’t feeling well and came home early from work. We decided to go to the hospital, just to make sure everything was okay with her and the baby.

Someone must have been looking out for our little family that night. We hit every green light on the way and were able to get in to see a doctor right away—putting us in exactly the right place at the right time, because something wasn’t right. Our daughter wasn’t able to wait until April to make her debut. Poppy’s placenta had torn due to complications in the pregnancy, and she entered the world at 1:55 a.m. on February 3, 2018, weighing just 3 pounds, 1 ounce, and measuring 16 inches long.

I remember time slowing down the first time I saw her. What was probably only two seconds felt like ten minutes. She was so small and didn’t move at first—I wasn’t even sure she was alive. Then she cried and moved her hand, and it felt like someone hit fast forward. The medical team quickly stepped in and began caring for her. From a medical standpoint, we were fortunate—she looked good. She was just tiny, and her lungs hadn’t fully developed yet.

Our first 51 days as parents were spent in the NICU at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield, Ohio. It’s not how you imagine becoming a father for the first time. But like anything in life, you adapt and make the best of it. A positive attitude—and an incredible partner—can carry you through anything.

We can’t say enough about the care team that supported us. From the doctors and specialists to the janitorial staff, everyone treated Poppy, Taylor, and me with compassion and kindness. It truly meant everything to us.

The March of Dimes supports NICUs like the one at Hillcrest and funds lifesaving research that gives mothers and babies a fighting chance. Poppy benefited from treatments made possible by that research.

Raising money for this walk is one way our family continues to give back and show our gratitude for everything they’ve done—not just for our daughter, but for millions of babies like her… and like me.

We would love for you to join our team, Poppy’s Posse, for the March for Babies walk at the Cleveland Zoo on May 3, 2026. If you’re not able to walk with us, please consider making a donation to help us meet—and hopefully exceed—our goal.

Thank you for helping us say thank you for the gift of our daughter.