Chicago—Danielle and Jonathan Pugh of Lockport, IL enjoy spending time with their twin sons Nicholas John and Nathan Paul.  Nicholas likes books and Nathan likes to play peek-a-boo.    Nicholas & Nathan are currently 19 months old.  The boys are happy and healthy now, but they were born premature.  That’s why the Pughs have been named by the March of Dimes as the 2006 Ambassador Family for the South Suburban site of WalkAmerica.

At 16 weeks, the twins were diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a rare disease of the placenta that is responsible for giving nourishment to the developing fetuses.  With TTTS, the blood begins to flow unevenly, with one fetal twin receiving too much blood and one receiving too little.

At the time of Danielle’s delivery, there were two obstetrician/gynecologists, two neonatologists, six nurses, an anesthesiologist, and a host of other medical professionals in the operating room.  The twins were in danger.  As soon as the first child was born the Pughs were informed that they were boys.  Immediately after delivery they saw their sons laying on flatbeds surrounded by doctors.  “It was a very intense situation,” Danielle says.  Their boys were born on June 6, 2004.  Nicholas was 1 lb 12 oz and 15 ½ inches long.  Nathan was 1 lb 14 oz and 13 inches long.  After surgery Danielle was wheeled into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on her bed so that she could be close to her sons.  Danielle adds, “They were the tiniest little babies, so very cute with all of their dark hair.”  There were several tubes attached to them to help them survive.  There was not much that the Pughs could do to help their babies.  “We just told them that we loved them very much and told them to keep fighting.”  Ultimately, the babies were in the hands of the doctors and nurses of Hinsdale Hospital.  

The boys are home with their family and are doing fantastic.  They are happy and healthy young boys.  Danielle adds, “We are so very lucky to have such a happy ending.”

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 Yankee Woods.  WalkAmerica is sponsored nationally by Kmart Corp., CIGNA, Famous Footwear, FedEx, and Farmers Insurance Group.  Local sponsors include Aileen S. Andrew Foundation, Citizen Financial Services, TCF Bank, and Harris Bank.

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.