Suzannah Koilpillai

This feels personal.  My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage and was one of the most devastating experiences of my life.  It's not something I talk about much - I think because that loss was followed by 2 healthy pregnancies and 2 healthy boys.  After being part of the March of Dimes team for 6 months, I understand more than ever how lucky I was, even after that loss.  

I was lucky that my boys were both born at 40+ weeks.  I was lucky that my OB was 15 minutes from work and my car worked just fine and got me to appointments.  I was lucky that I had flexibility with my job and didn't need to explain sickness or exhaustion to anyone. I was lucky that my husband supported me every step of the way.  I was lucky that I had insurance that covered expenses and a network of family and friends that filled up our nursery with anything our boys could ever need.  I was lucky that I had access to fresh, nutritious foods. I was lucky that I didn't have any complications after my boys were born, and that both boys were healthy and full of life. We were lucky about a lot of things.  

I'm marching for babies because so many women, families, and babies aren't so lucky.  This is more personal than ever and I invite you to join me and join March of Dimes in this fight.  No mom should go without exceptional healthcare and no family should experience the preventable loss of a child.  Thank you for joining our movement. 

P.S. Team K-Papa originates from my older son, Kai (now 15), who couldn't pronounce Koilpillai when he was 2. He introduced himself as Kai K-Papa.