Marching for Babies

I've always known about the March of Dimes. I knew that they did a lot of work for sick babies - raising money, helping families, seeking treatments. But that was really the extent of my knowledge. I think I may have even donated to them before...but never did I think that I would be one of the people that would feel a connection to this organization the way I do now.

The March of Dimes' goal is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. They carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. Their dream is that one day all babies will be born healthy.

I was recently reintroduced to the March of Dimes by a dear friend of mine, Linda. She knows too well the pain of losing a baby and has grown to be a lifeline as I struggle through my grief. I often think of her sweet little girl, Madison, playing alongside Nash in heaven. I am confident that they have found friendship in each other, just as their mothers have. Since Madison passed away, Linda has put forth so much time and energy giving back to the March of Dimes.

So today I was invited to go with Linda and her friend, Heather, to a March of Dimes breakfast in Dallas to kick-off a special event that is coming up this spring. On April 18, my family and I will be walking with Linda's team in the March For Babies. It is a five mile walk, whose participants raise money that will be donated to the March of Dimes. I am working on setting up a webpage that explains everything further and I will be sure to let y'all know when I have it done. So please be checking back in the near future.

The breakfast itself was very inspiring - so many stories of hope; of babies beating the odds. As wonderful as it was to hear, it was so hard for me not to just crumble to the floor, wondering why my baby wasn't saved. Why couldn't we be one of those families with a happy ending?

After breakfast, the three of us headed over to meet up with one of Linda and Heather's friends, Vicky - a former NICU nurse that not only worked with their babies while they were in the hospital, but has also become a huge source of comfort and support for them. Through Linda, I have gotten to know Vicky and have emailed back and forth with her a bit. But meeting her was so uplifting. She is a wonderful woman, who put me at ease from the moment she said hello. She listened intently as I told Nash's story and we all cried together, feeling each other's pain. I also had a lot of medical questions about the circumstances surrounding Nash's death that Vicky clarified for me. I am so thankful to have met her and plan on seeing her again at various March of Dimes functions.

So, Linda, Heather, and Vicky... if any of you read this, thank you for listening. Thank you for being there. Thank you for including me. Thank you for sharing your stories. I am touched by your strength and admire your committment to helping this amazing cause.

Love to y'all,

Tracy