Erika Taylor

My name is Erika Taylor and today at 36 years of age, I am a healthy young woman working hard to accomplish my goals and fulfill my dreams. However, that was not always the case. A bit after 10 a.m. on April 26, 1989, I was born to two proud parents--both of whom were excited and eager to welcome their first child into the world. That joy was quickly replaced with fear when I was born early at 26 weeks, weighing just 1lb., 15 oz. I was struggling for life. I suffered from Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), which prevented me from breathing properly and kept my underdeveloped lungs from inflating. During my eight week stay in NICU, I developed a heart murmur and, at one point, a hemorrhage formed in my brain. It was only through the constant strength and prayers of my family, coupled with funded research conducted by the March of Dimes Foundation, that my life was saved. Thanks to the funding and research of the March of Dimes, I was administered surfactant therapy, which was still in the testing phases. Surfactant therapy, at that time, was a trial therapy used to inflate and strengthen the lungs. Within the year of my being administered the therapy, it received FDA approval and is now administered to premature babies throughout the country. In this way, I am proud to have served as a tiny catalyst for the improved health of babies who have come after me. Now, instead of fighting for my life, I get to fight for babies that come after me. Can I count on you to help me give EVERY BABY a fighting chance? Making a secure donation is easy: just click the 'donate now' button on this page. Thank you for helping me give all birthing persons and babies a healthy start!