The Sloane Squad

Our family is a March of Dimes family. 

In 2019, we were excited to be expecting our first child. We were looking forward to all of the things that young parents picture when they imagine pregnancy: a cute announcement, ultrasounds, nursery decorating, picking a name... We did not anticipate how dramatically different Sloane's birth would be from what we'd been taught to expect. 

At 29 weeks, my pregnancy went from normal to life-threatening in less than 3 days. Instead of flying to Denver for our baby shower, we checked into Greenville Memorial Hospital. My blood pressure skyrocketed, my organs started to shut down, and, suddenly, all of the plans we had made changed. Sloane was born at exactly 30 weeks, the day before her baby shower was supposed to take place and 2 days before mother's day. She became one of the 1 in 9 babies in South Carolina born premature. And this rate is rising: the preterm birth rate has risen 4 years in a row. 

Sloane spent 74 days in the NICU. Todd and I had to learn a million new medical acronyms, understand her diagnoses, her prognosis, and her future needs, even as I was struggling to recover from a complex c-section and to get my blood pressure back to normal and Todd was doing his best to work so Sloane's insurance would remain active. Sloane's and my health have been forever impacted by her dramatic entry into the world and, as her lungs grow stronger and she works hard to catch up to her "typical" peers, we have had to shift our perspective on our lifestyle, future family planning, and our priorities moving forward.

After navigating the COVID-19 pandemic with a child with Chronic Lung Disease, we are forever thankful for the people who have supported us, and for March of Dimes' work to improve health outcomes for premature babies. Sloane has directly benefitted from their research: March of Dimes directly contributed to the development of pulmonary surfactant therapy, a therapy that allowed Sloane's premature lungs to open and function in her first days of life. Without this lifesaving therapy, her future would have been much more uncertain.

March of Dimes continues to lead the fight for the health and wellbeing of all moms and babies, regardless of their circumstances. With preterm birth and maternal death rates continuing to rise, I’m committed to raising funds so that every family gets the best possible start. But I need your help.

Please help us reach our goal by sharing our page or making a donation! Together we’ll be part of a movement to make America a more equitable place where every mom and baby is healthy.