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March of Dimes Selects Justin Washington for Second Year as National Ambassador
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., January 19, 2002—Born four months premature and weighing just one pound, eight and a half ounces, Justin Washington had to struggle for every breath. Today, he is a healthy seven-year-old who will run, skip and jump his way into the role of the March of Dimes 2002 National Ambassador—the first to be selected for a second year of service.
Justin and his parents, Kraig and Dorenda Washington of Miami, Florida spent 2001 sharing their story with volunteers, community organizations, business leaders, media and government officials nationwide. Among the year's highlights was a visit with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office at the White House and a second meeting with the President at the March of Dimes Volunteer Leadership Conference in October in Washington, D.C. During the President's appearance at the conference, Justin presented him with the first dollar for his "America's Fund for Afghan Children," an initiative President Bush announced was modeled on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's call for a "march of dimes" to the White House to fight polio. FDR's campaign led to the creation of the March of Dimes.
In 2002, the Washington family will continue its travels to raise public awareness of the March of Dimes mission to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.
"Justin is truly an amazing little boy and, along with his parents, has been an inspiring example of how the March of Dimes mission played a role in his survival," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "We are so pleased that they will be able to continue to share their personal story of challenge and triumph nationwide as our 2002 National Ambassador Family." Justin's life had a challenging beginning. Early in her fifth month of pregnancy, Dorenda Washington began contractions while visiting her parents in Tennessee. She was rushed to Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, where doctors confirmed that she was in premature labor. They worked to prolong her pregnancy in order to save the baby's life, but the effort was only temporarily successful.
After a month literally upside down in a hospital bed, hoping that gravity would stop her labor, Dorenda gave birth to Justin on November 13, 1994. He was four months premature and weighed just 1 pound, 8 ½ ounces. He was immediately transferred to Centennial's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where he would live under constant care for the next four months.
Because his lungs were severely underdeveloped, he was placed on a ventilator to help him breathe and given surfactant therapy. Surfactant is an oily substance the body produces to help re-inflate the lungs after each breath, but which premature babies are often not yet able to produce. This treatment was developed in part by research funded by the March of Dimes.
Justin underwent intestinal, hernia and laser eye surgery, the last to correct a detached retina resulting from the constant administration of oxygen. He also suffered from asthma during his first year and was treated for hyperbilirubinemia, which can result from a temporary liver malfunction due to prematurity. Kraig and Dorenda Washington could only watch and wait.
"Looking back, I think I knew deep down that he might not make it," Dorenda said, "but I refused to give up hope." Kraig, who is in the Coast Guard and had to shuttle back and forth from Miami to Nashville every weekend, said, "At the time, you don't really think about it. You just pray for strength and keep on going. Only after you stop and look back do you realize what could have happened." Justin was finally released from the hospital in March 1995 and was brought back to Miami to a home with a nursery containing enough equipment to resemble a NICU. He grew stronger and healthier with each passing day until the equipment was no longer needed. Today, Justin is a healthy little boy who seems to have no residual effects from his ordeal.
Parents Learn about March of Dimes Role
In 2000, Dorenda, a flight service manager at American Airlines, was asked to help build a team for WalkAmerica, the annual March of Dimes fundraising event held in cities nationwide during April. "When I heard 'March of Dimes,' I immediately thought of birth defects," says Dorenda, "but we hadn't experienced that. I was then astonished to learn about all of the March of Dimes-funded programs and medical breakthroughs for premature babies. I immediately wanted to help because of all they had done to save Justin's life."
"There aren't enough words to express how grateful we are to the March of Dimes for Justin," said Kraig. "So we're letting our actions speak for us by raising awareness of the March of Dimes mission, especially among African Americans." The preterm birth rate among African Americans is 17.5 of all preterm U.S. births, as opposed to 10.5 percent for whites, and the very low birthweight rate (less than 5.5 pounds) is 3.1 percent, in contrast to 1.1 percent for whites.
March of Dimes Takes Action
In the 1970s, the March of Dimes became concerned that not all premature newborns were gaining access to the specialized care provided in NICUs. In response, the organization contributed start-up funding and equipment to help create NICUs in major hospitals throughout the United States. "No one knows what causes premature birth," said Dr. Nancy Green, acting medical director of the March of Dimes. "The March of Dimes is working to learn more about the major risk factors and to educate the public that good preconception and prenatal care may improve a woman's chances of having a healthy, full-term baby."
The March of Dimes recommends that all women thinking of having a baby adopt a healthy lifestyle and get a pre-pregnancy medical checkup. All women of childbearing age are urged to consume 400 micrograms daily of the B vitamin folic acid to prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine.
Vanessa Williams Continues Role as National Ambassador Honorary Spokesperson
Actress Vanessa Williams, of the Showtime series Soul Food, will also continue her role as celebrity spokesperson for the March of Dimes 2002 National Ambassador Program. Throughout the year, Ms. Williams will speak on behalf of the National Ambassador Program, spreading messages about improving maternal and infant health across the country.
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. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at www.nacersano.org.
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