We're back again for another year of the March for Babies with team March for Cohen! We can hardly believe it's been 8 years since we lost our second son, Cohen Douglas. He was born very premature at just 21 weeks due to a condition called an incompetent cervix. An incompetent cervix, also known as cervical insufficiency, is considered a rare condition, affecting only about 1% of pregnancies, meaning it occurs in roughly 1 out of every 100 pregnancies. Cohen was born on March 13 with a beating heart for just two hours and 13 minutes. He was here and gone in what seemed like an instant and an eternity all at once.
For his 8th birthday this year, we are asking that our friends and family consider donating to March of Dimes in his honor. On April 26, David, Jackson, Charlie and I will be virtually participating in the March for Babies event in Chicago in the hopes of raising critical funds to support research, advocacy and programs for the health of all moms and babies. Our hope is that with your donations, March of Dimes will have the ability to prevent the heartache and loss that premature birth caused by an incompetent cervix brings. for 7 years, our family has always set a goal which signifies Cohen's birthday - 3.13 - multiplied by the number of years he's been in Heaven. This year, our goal is $2,504. Each year, we BLOW past that goal and we're hoping to do the same this year!
We'd also like to showcase an example of what these funds are going towards. Three years ago, March of Dimes launched the Innovation Fund to accelerate bold ideas and real-world solutions for the nation’s maternal and infant health crisis. The Fund has invested in six pioneering companies, each addressing critical gaps in care for moms and babies across the country - one of them being Novocuff. Novocuff (Home | Novocuff) is a medical device company dedicated to improving outcomes for pregnancies affected by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) or cervical shortening. This device is designed to save babies affected by incompetent cervixes and preterm labor, like Cohen. This mission matters. Your donations matter.
We love and thank you all for your constant support. As always, Be Kind for Cohen.
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!
