Chicago--Marybeth and Derek Chimenti of Sugar Grove are enjoying life with their daughter Savanna.  It is common for parents to experience ups and downs during a pregnancy, but no parenting class could have prepared the Chimentis for what they encountered.  Marybeth gave birth to Savanna at just 27 weeks gestation.  The Chimentis have been named by the March of Dimes as the 2006 Ambassador Family for the DuPage County WalkAmerica.

For Marybeth and Derek, the birth of Savanna was a difficult journey.  At 21 weeks, while on a visit with Derek's grandfather in Arizona, Marybeth began leaking fluid.  She was advised by her doctor at home to go to the emergency room in Scottsdale, Arizona to be evaluated. Marybeth was informed that she was 3-4 centimeters dilated and that she needed to lie down and be put on magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions.  Marybeth was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.  She did not develop any infections and doctors prescribed complete bed rest.  Marybeth stated, "I just wanted to go home and rest and be with my family and my husband who returned to Illinois to go back to work."  She was transferred by helicopter from Good Samaritan Hospital in Scottsdale, AZ to Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, AZ where doctors performed a cerclage to stitch her cervix closed.  Following that procedure she was transported to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, IL by ambulance, a Lear jet and another ambulance because she needed to lay down for the whole trip.  Unfortunately, the remainder of Marybeth’s pregnancy didn’t go smoothly.  She spent a few days at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital for brief periods due to contractions and was sent home for complete bed rest accompanied by a terbutaline pump to calm down contractions. 

The plan was for Marybeth to use the pump for another nine weeks to stop contractions but that night her water broke and she returned to the hospital.  Marybeth and Derek were so scared because she was only 27 weeks along at the time.  At the hospital her labor was stopped, once again, with magnesium sulfate.  Two days later she developed an infection that led to the decision to induce labor and protect the baby.  However, due to complications, Savanna Phoenix was delivered by emergency cesarean section on April 13, 2000.  She weighed 2lbs. 14oz. at birth, but dropped to 1lb. 13oz.  Savanna was on a ventilator for five days and on oxygen for two weeks.  She spent 66 days in Good Samaritan Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  Savanna came home on Father’s Day weighing in at 4lbs. 11oz.

Savanna is now five years old and despite the most difficult of times, she is doing remarkably well.  "Savanna is an absolute angel and we treasure every moment we have with her.  We are grateful to all the doctors, nurses, therapists, family, and friends that have helped us to get where we are today," say Marybeth and Derek. 

Registration for WalkAmerica will take place on Sunday, April 30th at 8:00 AM.  The kickoff for the event is at 9:00 AM at the Naperville Riverwalk.  WalkAmerica is sponsored nationally by Kmart Corp., CIGNA, Famous Footwear, FedEx, and Farmers Insurance Group.  The official site sponsor is Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.  Other local sponsors include Nicor, Harris Bank, TCF Bank and Wal-Mart.

There is no known cause for 50% of the babies who are born too soon.  That's why, in 2003, the March of Dimes launched a nationwide prematurity campaign to raise public awareness about the problem and help fund research and education to decrease the rate of preterm birth.

 WalkAmerica is the March of Dimes largest national fundraiser.  The funds raised will be used to help support research and education for the Prematurity Campaign.  There are six Walk sites in the Chicagoland areas.  For walk locations and to find out how to participate in WalkAmerica, please call the March of Dimes at 1-800-244-WALK or online at http://www.walkamerica.org/.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.