Meet the Anderson Family In the summer of 2023, what felt like normal pregnancy pains turned out to be very unexpected contractions. Upon arrival to the hospital, those contractions went from 0 to 100 very quickly. It was a matter of a couple of hours and nurses, doctors and the NICU team were preparing us to deliver our daughter... 10 weeks early! My husband and I were in utter shock. I begged the medical team to make it stop. And they tried very hard, but our sweet girl, who we later named Reagan, was eager to join us. Having been born as early as she was, Reagan (photographed) did pretty well at first, showing qualities of strength and perseverance from the beginning. At about 2.5 weeks of life, doctors recognized a difference in her soft spot. It felt full that particular day. A head ultrasound revealed a shocking discovery-- two very severe brain bleeds. We were immediately transferred to a level-4 NICU an hour away from home where three days later Reagan underwent her very first brain surgery. She had developed Hydrocephalus as a result of her brain bleeds. She was just three weeks old. Over the next 8 weeks our family was up and down on the roller coaster that comes with having a premature baby in the NICU. Every day was full of uncertainty and fear as we navigated beeping monitors, IV's, apneic breathing spells, discussions around developmental disability, and more. From Day 1 Reagan has been fighting like the true fighter she is through being born prematurely, brain bleeds, Hydrocephalus, shunt taps, lumbar punctures, cpap, intubations, MRI's, countless head ultrasounds, Rhino Virus, 2 ambulance transports, and all that comes with learning how to eat as a premature baby. After a very long 79 days, we were finally able to bring Reagan home to begin the next part of her journey, where she would continue fighting for the best possible future with us by her side every step of the way. Since then, Reagan has undergone two more brain surgeries. A total of three by the time she was just 8 months old, with the possibility of more in the future. The fight against Hydrocephalus as a result of Reagan's prematurity and brain bleeds is not over for her or our family and we all still have a long road ahead of us. Our family walks for Reagan and all the other babies who are born prematurely. Many people (our family included) don't realize the risk and long-term effects of prematurity so our goal is to help educate and positively impact areas we can by helping to fundraise for more research as well as better treatment towards conditions like Reagan's. This includes supporting the good work, research, and advocacy that March of Dimes is responsible for. With preterm birth and maternal death rates continuing to rise, we are committed to raising funds so that every family gets the best possible start. But we need your help. Please visit our fundraising page to make a donation. Together we’ll be part of a movement to make America a more equitable place and ensure that every mom and baby is healthy. Meet the Doman Family March of Dimes has been a source of support and guidance throughout our journey as parents of two premature babies. Our first experience in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was unexpected and frightening. Our baby was born at 35 weeks and spent three days in the NICU due to complications. With tears streaming down my face, I was discharged from the hospital without my baby. It is a situation we never imagined ourselves in but we were not alone. This short NICU was extremely hard and we had no idea how much it would prepare us for our second NICU babyl Ten months later, I found myself back in the NICU at the same hospital delivering my daughter at just 26 weeks. The road ahead seemed long and uncertain, but with the support of March of Dimes, we found hope and strength in the midst of our fear and worry. I received little cards to place in her isolette to celebrate milestones and was able to take pictures to celebrate all the things those important NICU milestones. My favorite was the Tiny but Mighty card because our daughter weighed 1 pound 11 ounces, has trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) is a heart defect in which there are holes between the chambers of the right and left sides of the heart, and the valves that control the flow of blood between these chambers may not be formed correctly. She needed open heart surgery. For 130 days, our daughter fought for her life in the NICU. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, with setbacks and triumphs along the way. But through it all, we never felt alone. March of Dimes provided us with resources, information, and a community of others who understood what we were going through. Today, our two NICU babies are home, thriving and bringing so much joy and love into our lives. We are forever grateful for the help and support we received from March of Dimes during our journey through the NICU. Their work is truly invaluable, and I am honored to share our story in the hopes of inspiring and encouraging other parents facing similar challenges. March of dimes provided educational materials about our baby's condition. And they continue to fund life-saving research. March of Dimes was an invaluable source of help and hope for families providing support through a very challenging time