| (SEATTLE, Washington, Oct. 24, 2007) -- There’s a new way to celebrate the babies in your life. The March of Dimes is bringing together friends and families to honor all babies, those born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive.
Recognizing November as Prematurity Awareness Month, and Nov. 13 as Prematurity Awareness Day, the March of Dimes continues to lead the fight against the more than half a million premature births that occur in this country every year as well as other serious threats to infant health.
Whether born prematurely or full term, every baby has a story -- every mother, every father, every family has a memory to share.
As part of the November observance, everyone is invited to share their baby’s unique story with others by visiting marchofdimes.com/everybaby.
On this Web site, an interactive map allows families and friends to connect through activities across the country, all to celebrate babies. Read others’ stories and join a community that honors the babies in your life.
There you will find the stories of Avery, Jack and Will of Seattle, all born full term, happy, healthy, and who went home within a day.
You will also see the story of Adrian of Kent, who weighed only 1 pound 14 ounces and who was born with a ruptured lung and a hole in his heart. He stayed in the hospital for five whole months before going home.
Now, his mother says, the five year old is her “stubborn but very outgoing son.”
And there’s the story of Reese of Bremerton, born 11 weeks early. He remained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 46 days before going home.
Parents, family and friends can share these stories and include photos and other multimedia elements.
Every Baby Has a Story is but one way to observe Prematurity Awareness Month. In Washington, other Prematurity Awareness Month activities include:
- Nov. 1 through 30: The Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle will be lit in pink and blue to symbolize hope for the future of all babies. Tacoma’s Frank Russell Building, St. Joseph Medical Center and Tacoma General Hospital will also be lit throughout the month.
- Nov. 6: A roundtable discussion and training for NICU staff and volunteers will allow NICUs throughout the state to share ways to improve family-centered care, and provide training to implement programs that provide emotional support and information to families.
- Nov. 9: A prematurity Conference for health professionals in Spokane is a multi-faceted look at a variety of maternal and child health topics, including ways to prevent premature birth, and how to better provide quality care before conception.
- Nov. 13, Prematurity Awareness Day: A Day of Gratitude at Neonatal Intensive Care Units throughout the state. Parents of children treated in a NICU are invited to personally thank the physicians, nurses and technicians that cared for their children.
In addition, for the sixth straight year, more than 600 Motherhood Maternity locations nationwide will take donations to support the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign from Oct. 1 through Nov. 15. In addition, Motherhood Maternity shoppers can purchase a “be healthy be happy” charm for a dollar donation supporting the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign.
Prematurity is the number one killer of newborns. In fact, in the last five years, more than 40,000 babies in Washington state have suffered the consequences of being born too soon.
The March of Dimes funds cutting-edge research and innovative programs that help more babies come into the world healthy. Together we can raise awareness of premature birth and help give every baby a healthy start.
American Baby and Baby Talk magazines and Working Mother Media are national media sponsors. More than 50 professional and consumer organizations have become Prematurity Campaign alliance members, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Hospital Association and the American Public Health Association.
Nationally, Prematurity Campaign sponsors include CIGNA, FedEx, Motherhood Maternity and the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute; the national Prematurity Awareness.
|
