March for Babies Topeka, Lawrence, Salina and Manhattan Family Teams

2011 Ambassador Family

2011-03-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

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

Imagine........

2011-03-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

This was written by mothers on the Shareyourstory.org website. It was a thread where they were asked to finish the sentence “Imagine…” in a way that helps others understand the effects of premature birth. Let us know how you would finish the sentence in the comments section.

Imagine........

Imagine.....your baby's birth weight being less than a bag of sugar or a 2 pound free weight or a 32 oz soft drink

Imagine…your granddaughter's tongue the same size as a tic-tac

Imagine...not hearing your child cry until he was a month old

Imagine…trying desperately to stay pregnant for as long as you can, even at risk to your own health

Imagine…giving birth only to be told that your baby has a 40% chance of survival and if she does survive, she will be blind, mentally and physically handicapped and never walk

Imagine…the smile on your face and the tears in your eyes when one year later, that same child RUNS past that same doctor

Imagine...having a hospital feel like home and your house feeling like a place you occasionally visit to sleep

Imagine…not seeing your daughter’s face until she was four weeks old because she was ventilated

Imagine…being able to fit your wedding ring on your child’s arm

Imagine…leaving the hospital empty handed

Imagine…planning your newborn’s funeral

Imagine…having the hospital call a week after the baby’s birth and asking if you’re having fun with your new baby…the new baby that you’ve never even held because he’s in the NICU struggling for life

Imagine…boxing up all of your baby things because it’s too painful to look at them in the nursery
Imagine…signing papers to allow for surgery on a baby who weighs less than a pound and a half

Imagine…the pain of parents all around you losing their babies, grief and guilt mixed with relief that it’s not you

Imagine…holding your baby when she’s two weeks old and realizing that the blanket she’s wrapped in weighs more than she does.

Imagine…feeling the pain of seeing pregnant women

Imagine…having to choose to stop breastfeeding the child you’ve already taken home in favor of his twin sister who is still in the NICU

Imagine…the fear of ever having another child

Imagine......Being afraid of, and afraid for, your child.

Imagine......Not even knowing who's lips, eyes, nose, or chin your child has because you can't see their face for all the tapes, tubes, and eye masks.

Imagine....Your husband knowing your nurses and the NICU routine better than you because he's been there for five days already before you ever even get to see your son.

Imagine...the looks on the faces of your friends and family when you try to talk about the future

Imagine...Being ecstatic when your baby hits 4 pounds, or 3, or 2...

Imagine…knowing your baby is born but the only sound you hear is the door closing as they take her away

Imagine... getting condolences instead of congratulations when your child is born.

Imagine... Not getting to hold your child until he/she is nearly a month old.

Imagine... hearing comment after comment on all the things people didn't think your baby would ever do.

Imagine... that some of the most peaceful times of your day are when you are sitting attached to a breast pump!

Imagine... how quickly the rough past fades away when your child first smiles at you.

Imagine…trying to produce breast milk that your baby desperately needs even though your body isn’t prepared to produce it

Imagine…knowing your baby literally inside and out because of x-rays, heart monitors, brain scans and blood tests

Imagine…dressing your baby for the first time in doll clothes

Imagine…knowing that no matter what happens, your life will never be the same

Imagine....being able to turn this life altering, tragic journey into something that can help many, many other people!

Anyone use Pampers?

2010-04-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

If you are a Pampers user, I suggest you collect the points and use them to help earn money for March of Dimes!

In case you are unfamiliar with this process, here are the directions. Inside of the diaper packages you can find a sticker that includes a code. They are also found inside the wipes containers (and I assume the wipes refill packs). After collecting the codes, go to Pampers.com and enter the codes on their website. Then if you go to the "Browse Catalog" button, you will see that you can donate these points to March of Dimes!! For every 10 points, Pampers will donate $0.10 to March of Dimes (up to $20,000 total). Wouldn't you LOVE to help March of Dimes earn an extra $20,000?? This is so simple.

Ask your friends, your neighbors, your NICU. I have contacted our NICU nurses to ask them to pass along the word. I know our NICU used Pampers Preemie diapers with my son, and I collected nearly 400 points while were in the hospital. Just think if we all added those points together. Maybe you could call your NICU and ask if they collect the points instead of throwing them out--don't be afraid to tell them why!

Thank you Pampers for partnering with March of Dimes. Tell everyone you know to collect those points to help reach this impressive total of $20,000!

Do you need t-shirts for your team?

2010-03-14T12:43:00.001-07:00

EA Graphics if the official t-shirt supplier for March of Dimes. If you are looking to purchase t-shirts for your team, check them out. These t-shirts are fairly inexpensive, and they have a lot of options. This year they are offering an extended line of sweatshirts, hats, bags, and other items. Check it out! The family team shirts are offered in purple, charcoal, and orchid. EA Graphics also offers an option to make a customized shirt. You can purchase the family team shirt, and have the company add personalization to the back of the shirt. There are so many varieties with this company!

Let me know if you have any questions about ordering & I can try to help. I know last year our team ordered these t-shirts, and then ironed on our team name on the back of the shirt.

Adding a fundraising badge to your email

2010-03-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Is everyone in the fundrasing mode?? Are you trying to get your message out there to as many people as possible? Your personal March of Dimes site has badges that you can add to your Facebook account, your personal blog, and your email. This is an easy way to remind your friends and family to help you earn your goal.

There have been some people having trouble adding the badge to their email signature. Here are the directions to follow. Then, with every email you send out, there will be an opportunity for people to help you reach your goal.

Adding Your Fundraising Badge in Outlook 2007
Share

Create a new “TEXT DOCUMENT” on your desktop (right click on the desktop and go to NEW - TEXT DOCUMENT)
Paste the code into the text document that you created, save the file as MFB2010.htm (erase .txt from the file name and replace with .htm)
In Outlook, go to Tools > Options and the Mail Format tab.
Click the Signatures button.
Click the New button.
Name your signature ‘MFB2010’
Click OK
Close Outlook
Locate your signature folder by navigating to these folders or go to Start, Run and paste one of the following: for Vista: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures, for XP: %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures
There will be three files in that folder called ‘MFB2010’ (in three formats: .htm, .txt and .rtf). If you cannot see the file extensions, go to Tools / Folder Options / View and deselect ‘Hide extensions for known file types’, or right-click on the file and select ‘Properties’, that will display the file type in a new window.
Drag the .htm file you created into the folder. Replace the .htm file in that folder with the file you created. Make sure that they are named the same.
Restart Outlook 2007.

Leave us a comment and let us know if you have added a badge to your signature. You can also tell us if you still have problems--we'd love to help you out!

Opening Bell

2010-03-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

Check out Sherii Shephard at the NY Stock Exchange kicking off the March for Babies campaign!!

Save the dates!

2010-02-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

2010 March for Babies

Manhattan

Sunday, April 11

Bosco Union Plaza @ KSU Student Union

Registration opens at 1 p.m.

Topeka
Friday, April 23

Topeka Zoological Park

Registration opens at 5 p.m.

Lawrence

Saturday, April 24

South Park (12th and Mass)

Registration opens at 9 a.m.

Salina

Sunday, May 9

Jerry Ivey Park (2465 Edward Street)

Registration opens at 1 p.m.

Woohoo - who's excited for this year's march??!!! This is my favorite time of year as we get ready for this awesome event (okay - could also be that SPRING is approaching which will mean burning some energy in the backyard and less illness!!). We've got a great route this year for those of you pushing strollers and lots of fun entertainment. I always say that if this wasn't a March of Dimes fundraiser... I'd STILL want to come bring my kids, we always have a blast! I hope you and your family is able to come!

You can sign up at http://www.marchforbabies.org/.

Please e-mail me at kmcburney@marchofdimes.com or call me at 913-387-3605 with any questions.

Thanks!!
Kara McBurney

Did you see "Who Wants to be a millionaire" last night?

2009-08-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sherri Shepherd, March of Dimes celebrity volunteer and co-host of "The View," won $50,000 for the March of Dimes, her favorite charity, on Tuesday night's special 10th anniversary edition of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," hosted by Regis Philbin (after accessing her "Ask the Audience" life-line on a question about the movie, Notting Hill). The smash hit show returned to ABC-TV for a two-week prime time engagement. As a special feature, each episode will conclude with a celebrity player taking the hot seat, hoping to correctly answer a single question worth $50,000 for his or her favorite charity. The March of Dimes thanks Sherri for donating her winnings to our cause and for her ongoing support of our mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Time article

2009-07-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

Very interesting article from Time on premature birth.

Attention fellow bloggers

2009-06-03T09:33:00.001-07:00

Do you have a blog? A Caringbridge site? A family website?

I would love to add a list of local familis to the sidebar of this blog. If you have a blog or a website - will you please leave a comment with the address if you would like to add it?

Thanks so much!

Kara

Tweet for a good cause...

2009-04-20T13:45:00.001-07:00

Got this from the March for Babies blog.

Hugh Jackman, who tweets as @RealHughJackman, has offered to give $100,000 to the charity of choice of the tweeter he feels makes the strongest, most heart-felt case. In 140 words or less that is.

Thousands of people have already sent their tweets - among them many March of Dimes supporters. Thanks, everyone! Hugh’s announcing the winner on April 24, so get your tweet in now! Tell Hugh and everyone else why this cause means so much to you!
Looking good and doing good… Hugh Jackman certainly is the total package! Wondering what to Tweet? Here are some examples:@RealHughJackman Every waking moment I have with my babies I’m thankful for March of Dimes research. We need your support to save more babies.@RealHughJackman My kids walk, run, laugh and play thanks to March of Dimes efforts! We need your to help give every baby a healthy start.

Check out this family team!

2009-04-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

A well-known mommy blogger and one of our March of Dimes Moms, Heather Spohr, lost her 17 month old baby, Madeline Alice (Maddie) April 7th. In lieu of flowers she has asked that donations be made to the March of Dimes and her March for Babies team. The blogging and Twitter communities have rallied around her and her husband Mike to such an extent; that not only are they donating but starting their own Maddie walk teams across the country. To date there are 45 new teams.

There is a new blog for March for Maddie and we have blog posts on the Marchforbabies blog and the Newsmomsneed blog. Heather’s blog is http://www.remembermaddie.com/

Lobby Day in Topeka, March 12 2009

2009-03-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

First, we had a great luncheon with several of our Kansas legislators! It was great to get to talk to some of these officials one-on-one!Then, we all headed over to the Kansas State Capitol Building to deliver information to the rest of our senators and representatives who weren't able to make the luncheon. If you've never been lobbying before - it is an AWESOME experience. I would encourage you if you ever have a chance in the future to take part in a local or national lobby day.

Okay - so probably took too many pictures of the actual capitol building - but it is so gorgeous!!
Before we left, we got to visit the actual senate session.Here we are waiting for it to start.After they called the senate to order, they recognized the March of Dimes in attendance!
Very fun day! More than that, it feels so good to know that we had small small part in the process of getting the March of Dimes' mission brought to light with our state representatives.

Free Tax Preparation

2009-03-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

Liberty Tax is one of the March of Dimes' dedicated national sponsors. They are committed to working with the March of Dimes to ensure that ALL babies are one day born healthy.

On March 27th, Liberty Tax will host it’s much advertised, Tax Free Preparation Day. Customers who make an in-office donation of $50 or more to March of Dimes will have their taxes prepared free of charge at participating locations!!

Fifty dollars is a deal to get your taxes prepared anyway - and it's going to a good cause!!

WOW!!

2009-03-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, big kudos to ABC and Extreme Makeover Home Edition - last night's episode ROCKED!! Like I said last week, I almost always love this show... but this one, for obvious reasons, was especially a "must see" for me!

The family is absolutely amazing, attention was brought to the issues of prematurity and infant loss and I can't believe how much they mentioned the March of Dimes!!

I hope you all saw it - would love to hear your reactions!

Happy Monday,
Kara

Extreme Home Makeover THIS Sunday!

2009-02-23T14:25:00.001-08:00

I love this show to begin with, but I will be sure to catch it this week! On Sunday, March 1st the Emmy Award winning ABC-TV program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, will build a new home for March of Dimes volunteers, the Augustin Family of Keller, Texas. The family was selected because Amber and Peter Augustin’s son, Lane, was born extremely premature in 2004. They are dedicated to volunteering for the March of Dimes and helping other families with premature babies. Hundreds of March of Dimes volunteers and staff helped demolish and rebuild the Augustins’ home. Fort Worth expects to have 1500 people watching the broadcast together and this will act as a kickoff/sign-up event for March for Babies.

I'd love to hear what you think about it after the show... I'm anxious to see it!

CHIP

2009-02-10T16:28:00.001-08:00

You may have alread heard but the CHIP, Children's Health Insurance Program, was signed into law by the president last week. This is a HUGE win for March of Dimes supporters and anyone who believes in babies being born healthy!

Here is what Dr. Howse, President of the March of Dimes, had to say about this awesome accomplishment....

I am pleased to announce that the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was signed into law on Wednesday. This critical legislation includes key provisions the March of Dimes has championed since 2007:

*Maintains coverage for those children currently enrolled and give states the resources to cover an additional 4.1 million uninsured children which means 11 million children will have access to coverage.
*Gives states a new option to cover pregnant women who meet the program’s income guidelines.
*Contains a robust pediatric quality initiative to fund the development and dissemination of pediatric quality measures for use by the states. This will help ensure that children receive not only health coverage, but high quality care.

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has played a role in this accomplishment.

T-shirts

2009-02-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

I have already been getting several requests for information on t-shirts. Here's the low-down...

EA Graphics is the official t-shirt supplier for March for Babies. This year, in addition to the regular Family Team Merchandise, they have also added templates where the t-shirts can be even more personalized.

Some teams choose to make their own t-shirts by making iron-ons or by ordering them either locally or on-line through various printing suppliers. Yes you are able to use the March for Babies logo on your shirts! This logo can be downloaded by clicking the "Spread the Word" button under the "Keys to Fundraising Success" heading on your personal March for Babies page.

Free coffee!

2009-01-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

Starbucks is giving away free coffee - and what's better than free stuff??

All you have to do is pledge to volunteer five hours in your community (we always need March for Babies volunteers!!), go to a participating Starbucks and they will give you a free tall coffee. Better hurry - this ends January 25th!

National Ambassador on the news

2009-01-20T14:29:00.001-08:00

The March of Dimes 2009 National Ambassador family, Ashley, Michael and Katelyn Hall will appear on the Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends on Thursday, January 22, at 8:55 am EST. Please tune in to see the Hall family tell their inspiring story to March of Dimes volunteer and Fox & Friends host Gretchen Carlson.

March for Babies video

2009-01-13T14:19:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't seen it yet!

Folic Acid Awareness Week

2009-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

I logged on to Facebook this morning and saw a status update from my friend, March of Dimes, alerting me that it is folic acid awareness week! (Did you know you could be "friends with" or "fan of" March of Dimes on Facebook?) This B vitamin helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken before the end of early pregnancy. Take a moment this week to let someone know how important this vitamin is for all women of childbearing age as it only works if taken before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Don't forget if you're contemplating pregnancy or know someone who is, there are some great resources on the March of Dimes website regarding pregnancy!

I Wanna Rock

2009-01-08T12:21:00.002-08:00

Did you know that Dee Snider is the "Honorary Chairman" for March of Dimes Bikers for Babies? Check out the article on the March of Dimes site or the video from when he and Dr. Howse rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange!

The early bird gets...

2008-12-12T06:59:00.001-08:00

$25!

Farmers Insurance is donating $25 to March for Babies for everyone who registers on-line for March for Babies before December 31st!

You can check out the details here. All you have to do is register on-line, tell all of your friends and family and team members to register on-line, tell everyone you know to register on-line.... and March of Dimes gets gets a $25 donation from Farmers for everyone who registers on-line!!

Get the word out, better hurry though - it ends December 31st!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2008-12-08T08:09:00.001-08:00

Cold, flu, and RSV season.

If your family is like mine, winter is a hard time of year for your baby... not only is it too cold to play outside or go for walks in the neighborhood but the germs are raging! The March of Dimes website provies a lot of good information about conception, healthy pregnancy and routine newborn care as well as caring for a sick infant. Having a sick child is stressful enough... but when your child has an illness on top of an underlying medical problem like chronic lung disease it can be very scary and sometimes special precautions are needed.

From the March of Dimes website, you can help protect your baby from RSV by:
*Keeping him away from people who are sneezing or coughing
*Making sure everyone who touches the baby has clean hands *Keeping your baby away from crowds of people
*Not allowing anyone to smoke near your baby

The RSV Protection website also provides lots of good information.

I hope you are all staying healthy and manaing to keep warm!

Prematurity Awareness Day

2008-11-20T16:22:00.001-08:00

November 12 was Prematurity Awareness Day! This is the day the March of Dimes released the report card on prematurity.... the nation scored a "D" in regards to the national rate of premature birth. Kansas scored an unexceptable D and scored an embarassing F.

We heard from Dr. Howard Kilbride from Children's MercyDr. John Yeast from St. Luke's Hospital Brian Williams, dad of cutie-pie Savanna Williams, shared his experience about the premature birth of his beautiful daughter, Savanna and how the March of Dimes and the NICU family support program aided them along the way.

As Brian was speaking, Savanna sat with her mom, Nicci, and worked the crowd... it was so inspiring to hear about Savanna's birth circumstances, her struggles - then to see this cutie walking around and being generally adorable. Lisa Butterfield from KU med spoke last then Dr. Howard Kilbride fielded questions. There were also several other mother and child health resources there.

It was a great day - and brought light to an important local and national health problem. Please join the March of Dimes in signing the prematurity petition and telling our government that we care about babies born too soon!

November is prematurity awareness month.

2008-11-01T16:56:00.001-07:00

That's right - all month! One in EIGHT children (12-13%) of children are born prematurely each year. In Kansas (and those of you on the Missouri side...) those stats hold true. For every seven babies born full-term, one is born before 37 completed weeks gestation. Not only do these children face higher levels of infant mortality but the ones who do make it, many face life-long health concerns or disabilities.

Please join me in signing the Prematurity Petition to help to alert others of this national crsis. Also, please check out and pass on the March of Dimes' prematurity site.

If your family has been touched by prematurity, I encourage you to tell at least one person about it this month. Also - remember that The Legends is promoting the March of Dimes and Prematurity Awareness Month in November. Please join us November 6th at Books-a-Million from 10 a.m. to noon if you are available!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween.

Kara

Click to vote!!

2008-10-01T07:13:00.001-07:00

The Squidoo website is giving away $2 for everyone who goes on their site and votes for their charity. March of Dimes is listed and could use your help! Please take a quick second to click on the site and "vote" for March of Dimes. Even if they don't "win" by getting the most votes - they still get money for every single vote registered!

Kara

Video

2008-09-25T11:27:00.002-07:00

Check out what one of the featured videos is on YouTube today!

Check out my new shoes!

2008-08-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

Aren't they cute?! Not only are they adorable, they're suuuuper comfortable.
The best part? Famous Footwear will donate $5 from each sale to the March of Dimes. They even have the March of Dimes logo on the back. And I love pink!

Kara

Tax free!

2008-07-29T18:35:00.001-07:00

Don't forget about the tax free weekend this weekend! I know a lot of us have kids entering school.... this weekend from 12:01 a.m. Friday morning until 11:59 p.m. Sunday night Missouri is honoring a "tax free holiday" on back to school supplies. This includes clothing, school supplies and computers. Be sure to check the website for participating cities and counties.

Calling all parents – voice your support for the health of babies!

2008-07-10T11:17:00.001-07:00

Beginning this month, Kansas health officials will screen the blood of every Kansas newborn for 29 treatable disorders. Previously, Kansas screened for just four disorders, trailing nearly every state in the nation.

The March of Dimes Advocacy Network played a pivotal role in securing passage of the Newborn Screening Act in Kansas, proving the power of an individual’s voice and personal story.

What does the March of Dimes Advocacy Network do?
The Advocacy Network draws attention to important issues related to maternal and child health. This grassroots advocacy educates elected officials and lets them know how their constituents feel about certain issues.

How does it work?
During each legislative session (January through May), the March of Dimes distributes information about key legislative issues to Advocacy Network members. Typically distributed via e-mail, this information includes appropriate legislator contact information (e-mail, mail and phone), sample e-mails, letters and talking points to make communication as quick and easy as possible. Members use this information to deliver customized messages to their own Representatives and Senators.

How can I get involved?
To join the March of Dimes Advocacy Network, e-mail Diane Daldrup, State Director of Program Services, at ddaldrup@marchofdimes.com.