COMMUNITY | EVENTS
MARCH FOR BABIES FAMILIES ARE DEPENDING ON IT Contributed by Diana Cureton
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arch for Babies, the nation’s oldest walk fund-raiser, gives hope to approximately 4 million babies that are born in the United States each year, including more than 200,000 in Florida. The annual campaign builds up to the big walk day and secures funds needed for research, grants, advocacy, and community services that allow the March of Dimes to improve the health of babies.
born. “She was absolutely beautiful. I held her and told her how much I loved her.”
Addison is now almost two years old and growing strong.
Sadly, Avery only lived about six hours, having been born with a weight of only 1 lb., 2 oz. “Meanwhile, my uterus seemed to calm down, because Addison did not follow her sister,” Melissa says. “The doctors clamped the cord and let it retract, hoping I could carry Addison closer to term.”
“March for Babies is our premier annual fund-raiser, bringing together families in our community who have been touched by prematurity, birth defects, or loss,” said Tallahassee March for Babies Ambassador Mom Melissa Templar. “We encourage everyone to visit marchforbabies.org, join the campaign and come out to the walk. It will be a fun day with family and friends, supporting a great cause.”
Two weeks later, however, Melissa was taken in for an emergency C-section. “I started crying because I knew the odds for a 25-week baby were still not great,” she says. “The next few weeks were agonizing. Would she make it, or would I have to endure losing another baby?” After nine weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Addison was finally stable enough to be transferred to Tallahassee.
The first March of Dimes walking event took place in San Antonio on October 7, 1970. “Ever since, these fund-raising walks have evolved into spirited events with millions of volunteer participants across the country that sustain important March of Dimes programs,” said Tallahassee March for Babies Chair Alan Keesee, from Capital Regional Medical Center. Last year, nearly $8.7 million was raised in Florida. Donating walkers help give more babies a healthy start in life.
Melissa was 23 weeks pregnant with fraternal twins during a business trip to San Francisco when her water suddenly broke. “The neonatologist told me that if I could make it through the next 48 hours, it would be possible for me to carry the twins closer to term,” she remembers. Soon she started to feel pressure, though, and realized that her daughter Avery was being
“On the day we were leaving San Francisco to be transferred to Tallahassee Memorial’s NICU, March for Babies was being held, and several of our nurses told me they were walking for Addison,” remembers Melissa. “They told me that the money raised goes toward research to prevent prematurity and to help preemies survive. I am thankful to the March of Dimes for this research.”
March for Babies will be held on April 26th at Tom Brown Park, 1125 Easterwood Drive, Tallahassee. Registration begins at 9 a.m.; the walk kicks off at 10 a.m. It’s a fun-packed gathering, providing a memorable experience to all walkers. Everyone’s invited to sign up today, start raising funds at marchforbabies.org, and join the fun for the benefit of all babies. ta l l a h a s s e e w o ma n
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