IMMEDIATE RELEASE REQUESTED

Contact: Carol Hummer, Senior Division Director

(574) 289-9519 or chummer@marchofdimes.com

March of Dimes to Honor Premature Babies and Remember Those Who Were Lost to Prematurity with Prematurity Roll Call in South Bend

Ceremony to honor the little miracles that survived prematurity and to remember the victims who lost their fight to survive their premature birth.

South Bend, IN – November 8  On Tuesday, November 14th at 7:00 p.m.) at First Presbyterian Church Social Hall,  March of Dimes volunteers will be conducting a Prematurity Roll Call and candlelight vigil for children in the St. Joe County area who were born too soon and too small.

The Prematurity Roll Call includes reading the names and birth dates of children born prematurely.  When each name is read a candle will be lit.  Families are encouraged to create a poster with their child’s birth pictures and story so that we can line the room with images of these precious children who not only won their battle, but also to honor those who did not survive.

“The Prematurity Roll Call helps bring awareness to this infant health crisis,” says Mike Leep, Jr., Vice President  of Gurley Leep Automotive .  “Unless you’ve spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit you may not understand the struggle, the fight these newborns have to endure.  Needles and machines and months of intensive care and sometimes surgeries await most premature babies.  Prematurity is a major reason why babies are born sick and suffer disabilities.  Worse yet, it is a fight that many babies lose.  Prematurity is the number one cause of newborn death.”  Says Leep, “We don’t want these tiny victims to be forgotten.  We want to join families in honoring the heroic struggle of these babies.  We hope to one day find a prevention for premature birth and awareness of the problem is key.”

If your child or a child you know was born prematurely and would like to be included in the Roll Call on November 14th please call (574) 289-9519 or email chummer@marchofdimes.com.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects 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 five-year 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 Web site at nacersano.org.