Courtney Dower

I started working for March of Dimes in January 2022 and a large part of the reason why I wanted to work for March of DImes and now partcipate in March for Babies is believing in the mission. And a large part of that is due to my son, Hartley. Hartley is 4.5 years old and I found I was pregnant with him in January 2020. Then right after I hit my first trimester, the U.S. was hit with COVID-19. What was already an anxious time being pregnant for the first time was now made even more scary. Then when I was 24 weeks along it got even scarier: I was told Hartley had dipped to the 8th percentile and was growth restricted. I had to go every single week to be scanned and every single week I was worried they were going to tell me he stopped growing and I would have to deliver that day. Hartley kept fighting and held on thankfully to 38 weeks. At 38 weeks I was told he had officially stopped growing and I needed to be induced. Hartley was delivered safely 18 hours later on September 14th 2020 at 5lbs 6 oz. He passed all his newborn screenings except one: he failed his hearing screening. I was told it was probably just fluid and to come back in 2 weeks. 2 weeks later he failed again. And then 2 months later, Hartley had an ABR test done and I was informed Hartley was born severley to profoundly deaf in both ears. It was difficult news to process, but thankfully with a suppportive team behind us, Hartley got his first set of hearing aids in December 2020 when he was 3 months old, he then had surgery in August 2021 when he was bilaterally implanted with cochlear implants at 11 months old. He signed his first set of sign language words together when he was 16 months old and now he is talking and signing up a storm.

Hartley is a true HEAR-o and works hard every day to communicate both by sign language and with listening and spoken language. He is now 30 pounds and an incredibly active and funny little boy. If it wasnt for access to care, proper diagnositics, and most importantly newborn screenings in hospitals, Hartley wouldnt be here, wouldnt be thriving, and I would never have found out so early that he was deaf and would have additional needs in terms of communication.

I am so thankful for March of Dimes for working to ensure all moms and babies have the best outcomes and care possible and for being the organization doing research into growth restriction and the team behind newborn screenings, like the hearing screening, in the hospital. Hartley is why I work for March of Dimes and why I March for Babies! If you support the mission of fighting for the health of all moms and babies, then please consdier donating to my fundraiser for March for Babies!