1998 National Ambassador: T.J. Stallbaumer

T. J. Stallbaumer, the March of Dimes 1998 National Ambassador, was one of the tiniest and sickest babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. His parents, Jennifer and Tom, were told that he would not live.

T.J. was born nearly four months prematurely on June 23, 1992. He weighed a mere 1 pound, 14 ounces. He was unable to breathe on his own because his lungs were too immature. T.J.'s intestines were not yet working, requiring a series of operations beginning when he was just four days old.

But despite the odds against him, T.J. had several important factors in his favor. He was cared for in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), part of a regionalized system of specialized nurseries established by the March of Dimes and three of T.J.'s physicians had received funding from the March of Dimes to develop new and better ways to treat premature infants. Those grantees included: Dr. Edward F. Bell, director of neonatology at the University of Iowa; Dr. Jonathan M. Klein; and Dr. John A. Widness. They worked around the clock to save T.J.'s life.

Because T.J. was born so early, his lungs lacked surfactant, a substance needed to re-inflate the lungs after each breath. He was given surfactant therapy, which was developed in part with research funded by the March of Dimes. He also had numerous surgeries to repair a hole in his large intestine.

After T.J. spent a month in the NICU, doctors told Jennifer and Tom that their son would live, but would face many hurdles along the way. One by one, he conquered these obstacles, and on October 9, 1992, T.J. went home.

Today, T.J. is a bright and energetic child who loves water-skiing, boating, swimming, bike riding, reading, and using the computer. Most important of all, T.J. is healthy.