THREE-POUND BABY BOY BEATS THE ODDS Seattle, WA, 5-Year-Old Named March of Dimes National Ambassador

This is a guest post by Shalini Wittstruck the mother of Kieran who has been named the March of Dimes National Ambassador.  the Walk for Babies is coming soon.  Although I will not be able to walk again this year, there are plenty of chances for you to walk or to donate to a team.  The grand twins were 8 weeks premature and are now flourishing.  March of Dimes does all they can to help every child flourish.

When my husband Shane and I were told our baby would be born more than two months premature, we were forced to face the fact that he might die or suffer lifelong health complications. But against all odds, our beautiful son, Kieran, has grown into a healthy 5-year-old boy who is now the March of Dimes 2012 National Ambassador. Never did we imagine pregnancy as a life or death event. Then, one day, our lives and our expectations changed.

When Kieran was born, we were given worst-case scenarios – doctors warned me that he might not survive and I thought I would never hear him. Amazingly however, Kieran was born crying. The sound of that faint cry is etched in my memory forever. As a newborn, Kieran frequently stopped breathing while he slept and fell asleep while eating, which made it difficult for him to gain the weight he needed to safely leave the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). A heart murmur was found, as was a cyst in his brain. After an emotional 31 days in the hospital, Kieran was finally able to go home weighing almost five pounds.

Despite his premature birth and initial health complications, Kieran is now a healthy and very energetic kindergartner. He is a leader among his friends, and frequently invents games and machines. Kieran has great aspirations, and thinks that one day he would like to be an engineer or a pilot….or perhaps build robots. I suppose only time will tell!

As the 2012 March of Dimes National Ambassador, Kieran (with Shane and I in tow, of course!) will travel the country, representing thousands of families around the United States whose children have survived prematurity.  The National Ambassador Program is an annual campaign, started in 1946, that puts a face on the March of Dimes mission.  United Airlines, which recently joined with Continental Airlines to create the world’s leading airline, is the program’s official airline sponsor for seven consecutive years.

Already, we have visited New York, Florida, Arizona, and Illinois. We are sharing Kieran’s amazing story to help raise awareness of premature birth. We’ve met people from all walks of life who share the common bond of worrying abut their preemie baby. Some are like Kieran – they barely show any signs of their early birth, while others must overcome the health consequences daily. It has been therapeutic for us to meet other parents who have gone through similar experiences and be able to share stories. It’s so good to know that by telling our story, we’re helping other people cope too.

Kieran, who will be six in March, was born after 31 weeks of pregnancy, weighing only three pounds, one ounce. Our story has a happy ending, but we know that not all premature babies are as fortunate as Kieran.  Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and 1 in 8 babies in the United States is born too soon. Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and other health challenges. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness compared to full-term infants. Many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until a baby is full-term. We don’t know why Kieran was born too soon, but we hope the research and work of the March of Dimes continues so that one day more babies will get a healthy start in life.

We believe the research funded by the March of Dimes resulted in our son’s well-being and significantly improved his odds of survival. We are encouraging everyone to participate in the March of Dimes signature fundraising event March for Babies®. This year, more than 7 million people will join their family, friends and colleagues in 900 communities to March for Babies® across the nation. The money raised by March for Babies supports community-based programs that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies, and research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies lives.  As the National Ambassador family we will participate in many walks around the country.  I have been walking with my employer, Cigna Insurance, a national sponsor of March for Babies, since Kieran’s birth.  Kieran started “walking” in March for Babies in 2007 while still in a stroller.  Over the years he has graduated to dad’s shoulders to riding in a wagon to now practically running the whole thing!

We are blessed for all we have been given and are excited to be able to give back in 2012. Hope to see you at a March for Babies (or two)!

Until next time,

Shalini (Kieran’s mom)

Tagged as: Continental Airlines, March, March for Babies, March of Dimes, Pregnancy, Preterm birth, United Airlines, United States