Expected to be her family’s Halloween treat, Catharine Aboulhouda instead arrived on the Fourth of July. She weighed just 1 pound, 10 ounces and measured only 12 inches long. Since she was 16 weeks early, her eyes were still fused shut. Catherine fought for every breath, facing daily challenges caused by a heart defect, bleeding in her brain, jaundice and a heart murmur.

Her mom, Susan, recalls: “Most parents dream of the moment their child is born and holding them only seconds after. But for my husband Mike and me, it would be a very long time before we could ever cuddle or gently caress our precious little girl. From the simple questions about her diapers to overwhelming medical procedures, we were in for a roller-coaster ride that we never expected to take.” 

After 113 days in the NICU, Catharine went home with her parents and big brother, Michael. She was still fragile enough to need monitors and oxygen. Amazingly, she has no lasting consequences of her extremely premature birth, thanks in part to medical advances developed and funded by the March of Dimes.

Today, Catharine, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a healthy 5-year-old with the energy of a firecracker. She loves singing, reading with her grandparents and swimming with Michael. As the 2008 National Ambassador, she will travel around the country with her parents, sharing her story to help others understand the seriousness of premature birth, and the importance of supporting the March of Dimes mission to help all babies be born full term and healthy.

“Perhaps one reason Catharine came into the world early,” says Susan, “is to let people know that even the tiniest babies can make a difference.”

Every year, half a million babies are born prematurely in the U.S., and the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. 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 Web site , an online community for families.