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Let stories of tiny babies move you

By Amy Fuhrman | Lake Norman Navigator

Published: April 2, 2009

There are stories of miracles and stories of heartbreak for every family who has been helped by the March of Dimes.

Over the years, I've been honored to meet and interview several of those families for stories about MOD.

The mothers tell stories of babies born dangerously premature. They will pull out boxes filled with memories — hospital bracelets, feeding tubes, heart scans. Their eyes fill with tears as they describe long nights when they weren't sure if their babies would live and worried days when they feel overwhelmed with the issues their children still face.

That their beautiful children are with them, crawling across the floor or flipping the pages of a book, is a testament to the vital mission of the March of Dimes.

The organization funds research that helps treat the problems experienced by premature babies. They have spearheaded a successful campaign to mandate newborn screenings for 29 serious conditions nationwide. MOD is also waging an extensive campaign to educate women about healthy pregnancies in the hopes of preventing premature births.

One mother I spoke to said she believes the March of Dimes is responsible for almost everything that helped keep her son alive in the hospital.

To raise money and awareness, the March of Dimes holds an annual Walk for Babies. This year, the walk is set for April 4, and it's a great opportunity for families to support an organization that helps so many.

Helping lead the way this year will be the Nawrocki family, who are serving as ambassadors. The photographs on the front page of their daughter Amber, born 13 weeks early, is the perfect example of why everyone should support the March of Dimes. In one picture, you see an unbelievably small infant, fighting for life. In the next, there is a happy preschooler, enjoying a family day.

Everything in between those two moments is what March of Dimes is all about. So, come out and walk at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Mitchell Community College and help give more babies like Amber a chance.