While at Famous Footwear yesterday, the cashier asked if we’d like to donate $2 to the March of Dimes and in return, we’d get 250 Free Bonus Rewards Points. Well, not only am I big fan of Famous Footwear, but I’m a bigger fan of the March of Dimes since my twins were born premature over 3 months early.

Dr. Scholl’s designed the official shoes of March of Dimes WalkAmerica (Dr Scholl’s Men’s Miracle and Dr Scholl’s Women’s Hope), and they are available exclusively at Famous Footwear. $5 from every pair sold will be donated to the March of Dimes (up to $50,000) for the campaign against premature birth. Looks like I definitely need a pair of these, especially since I’ve been walking to try to lose weight.

Source: Shoeaholics Anonymous

Published Sunday  |  February 25, 2007
Omaha World Herald
BY NICHOLE AKSAMIT

When it comes to keeping premature newborns alive, we’ve come a long way, baby.

Micro-preemie Jackson Schnieder weighed 1 pound, 1 ounce when born on April 18, 2005.

A remarkably tiny, supremely premature baby’s release from a Florida hospital last week tugs at the heart and raises the question: Can we go much further?

Medical advances in the past 30 years undoubtedly have helped raise survival rates for premature infants.

Doctors once considered those born at 28 weeks’ gestation the most-premature preemies likely to survive. The threshold is now closer to 24 weeks, depending on weight.

There’s even a new term that has surfaced for the less-than-28-weekers: micro-preemies.  Read rest of the story on Omaha.com.

If you have an extra $10,000 laying around, you can bid on this ebay auction: Continental 777 Ferry Flight & Dinner w/ Top Executives and 100% of the final sale will support the March of Dimes.

My preemie twins are now teenagers! Macy and Mallory turned 13 on Saturday, complete with a slumber party of a dozen screaming, whiny girls sleeping over.  Hard to believe it’s been that long since they were teeny tiny babies in the NICU.  They are still tiny for their age, but for girls that’s not a bad thing. They are still developmentally delayed, and it tears me up to go to their IEP meetings and being told that they will probably never measure up academically to their peers.  It doesn’t help that their little sister (age eight) teases them that she is smarter than they are.  I have to remind myself that they are miracles for actually living through all the trauma and turmoil they did and that they don’t have more disabilities.

March of Dimes now has an official online store. A percentage of all the sales (ranging from 10% - 60%) go directly to the March of Dimes to help save babies. Shop Now for Onesies, shirts, postage stamps, tote bags, mugs and more!

Reposted from PREEMIE e-NEWS…

Each year, hospitals across the country eagerly await the first baby of the year. It seems the first baby is considered somewhat exceptional. The first baby born in 2007 was indeed special — she was a preemie!

Nalaysia Raymond was born to Shaquencia Raymond at 4:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital in Savannah, GA. She was born a little over 2 months early and weighed only 2 lbs, 13 oz. Nalaysia is doing quite well, is breathing on her own, and is expected to go home in February.

Premature births are a growing trend throughout the world and it is estimated the number has risen by 30 percent in the past 20 years. This year, Nalaysia has reminded us all to focus on the needs of premature children.