(Cranbury, NJ, March 10 2004) - Recently, New Jersey got a very special visit from March of Dimes National Ambassador, Amanda Reeves, 5, of Greenville, S.C. Amanda was born 14 weeks early, and weighed just 1 lb., 7 oz. She was so tiny that her dad, Bill, could slip his wedding ring over her hand to her shoulder.
As the 2004 National Ambassador for the March of Dimes, Amanda is travelling with her parents throughout the nation to raise public awareness of the need for Americans to come together to fight the rising tide of premature births. The family is also encouraging people to help in the fight against premature birth by participating in WalkAmerica in Sunday, April 25 at locations throughout New Jersey.
Amanda’s New Jersey visit included:
- WDHA radio 105.5 FM in Morris County, The Big Greasy Breakfast
- KPMG, Short Hills
- Pfizer Inc, Mt. Tabor
- Wachovia Bank, Summit
- South Amboy Middle High School,
- FedEx, Somerset
- Kmart, Deptford
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Home Depot, Deptford
Amanda and her mom thanked these March of Dimes supporters for their many years of support and also spoke of the serious problem of premature birth.
More than 460,000 babies are born too soon each year, in the United States. New Jersey accounts for 14,882 of these premature births. Many premature babies face lifelong health consequences and, sadly, some die. Yet, we only know the causes of about half of all premature births.
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. In 2003 the March of Dimes launched a five-year, $75 million campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, call 1-800-BIG-WALK, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at www.nacersano.org.
Click here to learn more about Amanda
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