Our first March for Babies was in April 2008...just four short months after we brought our miracle baby home from the NICU. We are happy to continue to participate in this walk every year, as we watch Olivia grow into a young lady. More importantly, we do this walk to remember our daughter Lily, who lost her fight with prematurity over 11 years ago. A lot of progress has been made in this area...but so much more work needs to be done. Babies are still being born too early every day and too many of our babies are losing the fight. Thanks to so many generous donors, Team Olivia and Lily has raised nearly $50,000 toward the fight.
OUR STORY: We were blessed with twin daughters, Olivia and Lily, on 11/12/2007. They were born at 28 weeks gestation - a full 3 months early. Both of the girls weighed less than 3 pounds at birth. Due to complications with her lung development, our precious little girl Lily passed away after only 10 hours with us. Her sister Olivia spent 7 weeks in the NICU. During her time there, she underwent oxygen therapy, blood transfusions, and tube feedings. She spent time on a ventilator and had a small hole in her heart. After overcoming so many difficulties, we were finally able to bring her home on New Year's Eve. She weighed 4 pounds 7 ounces at the time.
We are happy to report that Olivia is now a happy and healthy 11 year old! She is now in fifth grade and is growing into a beautiful young lady! She loves to read and plays the piano and the flute! She loves dancing and playing softball. She wants to be a astronaut when she grows up! You would never know the struggle she went through due to prematurity. Because of the amazing work of the March of Dimes, she is thriving and growing! She benefited from surfactant therapy developed through March of Dimes funding. It saved her life.
Her twin sister Lily is our guardian angel and we miss her more every day. We walk so that other families will not have to experience the heartbreak of losing a child to prematurity.
Our son Charlie celebrated his sixth birthday on February 13. Charlie was born at full term and weighed a whopping 9 pounds 3 ounces. He weighed three times more at birth than his sisters did! We have been given the true blessing of a baby born on time and with a healthy start.
We walk so that every baby can be given a healthy start. We also walk for the following preemies: Carter & Brynn Walker, Demir, Meghan, & Renee Landino, Grant Middleton, Nola Clotworthy, J.J. Bizon, Ben Nowakowski, Abigail & Katie Kelly & Colin & Parker Heiss. We walk in memory of Grace Potthast, Brooks Casey, Baby Gearin, DK Mijic, and Maya Nowakowski.
March of Dimes is dedicated to bringing people together to tackle America's maternal and infant health crisis—one person, one community, and one step at a time. More than a series of walks, March for Babies is an annual tradition that supports moms and babies every day, every step of the way.
March for Babies connects friends, families, and coworkers to improve the health of families nationwide. Together with March of Dimes, each step forward brings us closer to a healthy future for all.
Thank you for your support!
