Ashley Wheeler, March of Dimes, (205)824-0103, awheeler@marchofdimes.com.
Statewide, AL, January 10, 2012 —

Marquis Wilson, Branch Manager, Regions Bank and his wife Porsche, Debit Card Claims Manager, Regions Bank, are the proud parents of Bryce Marquis and want to remind all of us why it is so important to raise money and walk to support the March of Dimes for stronger, healthier babies.

Porsche and I were both officers in the United States Army when we learned the wonderful news of our pregnancy. I was deployed to Iraq throughout the pregnancy and looked forward to seeing the pictures of her pregnant belly and waiting for the day that our unborn child would come.

(Porsche) Each day we’d communicate using instant messenger and I’d update Marquis on the baby’s progress. On February 21, 2006, I was informed that my blood pressure was extremely high and that additional testing would need to be done over the next 24 hrs. I came home to share the news with Marquis who was getting ready to go to bed. The next day, I was admitted to the army medical center and awaited transport Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I was 26 weeks and 5 days pregnant at that time and the thought of giving birth so early never crossed my mind. In addition, Marquis had no idea what was going on.

(Marquis) The next morning I woke up to numerous instant messages stating that I needed to get home as soon as possible because Porsche was having complications. I was a little confused because Porsche was feeling fine just a few hours before. I immediately called home and learned that Porsche had been diagnosed with preeclampsia and would be delivering within the next several hours. Once I heard the news, I began making arrangements to fly back to Nashville. I missed the birth, but I made it from Iraq, through Kuwait and back to Nashville in less than 18 hours. When I arrived, my 1 lb. 15 oz. son had already made his grand appearance. He was born on Thursday, February 23, 2006 at 27 weeks gestation.

Bryce spent 62 days in the NICU. It was both one of the most wonderful and scariest places we’d ever seen. It put us on this emotional roller coaster ride where some days were better than others. Bryce’s lungs collapsed while staying there, but each day he began to improve more and more. We were told that most babies born as premature as he would stay in the NICU until their original due date; some stayed even longer. There were even instances during our time there where some babies never made it home. We were both blessed and lucky because Bryce went home 1 month before his original due date with nothing but an oxygen tank and apnea monitor.

It is our biggest hope that through the March of Dimes medicine will find a way to make stories such as ours few and far between as they find way to prevent premature births.