As the National Ambassador, Zeek is traveling the country with his parents, Betty and Corey, to share their story, raising awareness of the seriousness of premature birth.

Every year, more than half a million babies are born prematurely in the U.S. One in eight babies is born too soon, a national health crisis that must be stopped. Betty explains, “Due to the increasing rate of premature birth among African-American women, we feel an urgency to work with the March of Dimes to raise awareness and to support research that would further impact the lives of babies. We are very passionate about helping all families.”

After the premature birth of his son Zeek, Corey Taylor spent many frightening days watching both his wife and their tiny baby fight for their lives. Betty developed complications 26 weeks into her pregnancy and rushed to the emergency room. Doctors told Corey that his wife was in danger of heart failure and coma, and they needed to perform an emergency cesarean section.

While both mom and baby made it through the delivery, Zeek spent the first 103 days of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit, fighting to survive. He was given surfactant therapy to help his immature lungs inflate between each breath. Zeek went on to fight and win one medical battle after another: anemia, abnormal blood flow from the heart, and jaundice.

Even after he went home, Zeek faced surgery to correct reflux problems, retinopathy of prematurity (an eye condition), hernias, and pressure on his brain due to meningitis.

Betty and Corey were both deeply affected by their experience with Zeek’s birth. They are grateful for their healthy son and the medical advances that saved his life, many of which were developed by March of Dimes-funded research. “Our family is forever indebted to the March of Dimes,” says Corey. “Because of research funded by the March of Dimes and the specialized care Zeek received at birth, he enjoys a happy, normal life. We can’t say thanks enough for his remarkable outcome, and we look forward to sharing our story with families all across the nation.”

Through its national Prematurity Campaign, the March of Dimes is working hard to find answers so that all babies can have their full nine months.

If you have had a premature baby in a neonatal intensive care unit and would like to share your experience with others, visit the March of Dimes Share Your Story, an online community for families.