2011 Ambassador Family

Jaxon is 17 months old and happy

1st time holding Jaxon at 15 days old

Dear March for Babies Family Team Captains,

We are honored to serve as the 2011 Topeka March for Babies Ambassador Family. This is a cause that touches so many families and we are excited to give a voice to families like ours who have been affected by prematurity, birth defects, or the loss of their child.

After over a year of trying to become pregnant, we were very excited to learn we were going to be parents! Things started off well, but at my 24 week check up I was showing signs of pre-eclampsia, a condition that causes dangerously high blood pressure in the mother, and was admitted to the hospital. Two weeks later, my condition worsened and I could no longer stay pregnant. We welcomed Jaxon into our lives 14 weeks too soon, weighing just 1 lb 3.75 ounces and measuring 10.5 inches long. When he was born, he never cried in the delivery room. We were not able to visit him in the NICU for almost 24 hours. Even though my husband had taken pictures of the NICU team helping him breath, I wasn’t prepared for how tiny he really was when I first laid eyes on him.

Jaxon’s time in the NICU was a rollercoaster of emotions. During his 126 day stay, he received numerous blood transfusions, treatment for jaundice, heart surgery, and laser treatment for his vision challenges that were a result of his prematurity. Today, he still receives nutrition through a gastric tube and requires oxygen at night.

I am so grateful that immediately after Jaxon was born, he received surfactant for his lungs. A March of Dimes researcher created this therapy to assist babies’ lungs open up to help them receive oxygen. Surfactant is a synthetic form of what a baby receives in the womb when born full-term. Because of the research of the March of Dimes, Jaxon has a greater chance of one day breathing on his own.

One of the first things the March of Dimes did for my family was to provide us with a care package in my son’s room with many materials to help us understand what we were going through. These tools helped not only us, but also our extended family as well, since his birth was like nothing they had experienced. We treasure the keepsake journal we received, since Jaxon’s experiences weren’t the kind listed in a typical baby book. In it we were able to record unique specials moments such as the day he first opened his eyes.

We’re so grateful to have Jaxon in our life, thanks to the help of the March of Dimes. I look forward to meeting you as the walk gets closer and for you to have the opportunity to meet Jaxon, too.

Thank you so much for your hard work, time, and efforts in walking together for stronger, healthier babies!

Sincerely,
Jason, Dawn & Jaxon