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Three years ago, my husband, Wayne, and I decided to make our dream of having children come true. My pregnancy was perfect until week 27 when labor started. On January 22, 2006, our son was delivered via emergency cesarean section at 28 weeks -- 12 weeks before his due date of April 15th. We spent the next 7 weeks in the NICU watching our three-pound baby fight to eat and breathe, things most people take for granted. Our story could just as easily be anyone's. The sad reality is that premature birth will affect you at some point in your life. Today, half of the cases of premature birth have no known cause, including our 28-weeker, Andrew.
Our wish is that no other family has to experience what we did. We represent the organization as the Ambassador Family to honor Andrew and all the other babies who have been born —- and will be born —- prematurely. Half a million babies are born too soon every year. In Massachusetts alone, 170 babies a week are born prematurely. More than 120,000 babies each year are born with serious birth defects. We were unaware of these horrific numbers before we, too, became part of the statistics. We never thought we'd be the parents of a preemie.
Today, I am a proud Ambassador Family mom and the team captain of Drew's Crew, celebrating our fourth year walking in the March for Babies. Here’s my big tip: fundraise online. On marchforbabies.org, you'll find everything you need to raise money quickly and have fun doing it. Your supporters simply use their credit card for a secure donation—giving them a safe, convenient way to sponsor you—and the March of Dimes sends them a thank you note and receipt (which is 100% tax-deductible!).
In this tough economy, I understand that asking for donations is a big request, which makes your efforts even more special. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have full-term pregnancies and funds research to ensure that all babies will be born healthy. Every step -— and every dollar —- counts.
Thank you for reading our story, and I look forward to seeing you at the March for Babies!
-- Tracy Quinn McLennan
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