Friday's Fab Five

...a day early!  Congratulations to this weeks top five family teams!

1	5K Bustin for Justin	Amarillo Division
2	Team Schatzman	Houston Division
3	Dr. Nirupama Patel Family Team	Corpus Christi Division
4	Team Tang-O	Dallas Division
5	Running for Aidan	Dallas Division

Enjoy your holiday weekend!
♥ March of Dimes

Friday's Fab Five

Congratulations to this week's top 5 family teams in Texas!!

1		Team Schatzman	Houston
2		Team Tang-O	Dallas
3		Dr. Nirupama Patel Family Team	Corpus Christi
4		Sari's Soldiers	Houston
5		MathewSmith	Houston

The Guinn Triplets Host a Lemonade Stand!

 

My triplets were born right at 28 weeks April 25, 2006.  We've spent the past 7 years raising money for March of Dimes, but felt this year that we needed to find a new way to fundraise.  We wanted a way to include the kids and give them ownership, so we came up with the lemonade stand!

The triplets and their little brother were a part of the process, every step of the way.  The helped Daddy build the stand and painted it pretty much all by themselves (they still have yellow paint in their hair weeks after the fact!).  They took money from their piggy banks to start the donation jar and on the day of our lemonade party, handed out lemonade and cookies to their friends and family.

Lathan, Lauren, and Logan helped separate and roll the coins.They made nearly $1,000 in their donation jar alone!

The lemonade stand was a success in all ways.  It was fun and kid appropriate plus it raised an awesome amount of money for a cause that is near and dear to our hearts!

 

Written by Stephanie Guinn, member of The Wondlands Mothers of Multiples in Montgomery County

Alicia's Story

I was first introduced to the March of Dimes in 2004. I walked with my company team, but I never really made the connection to their mission. I donated periodically and participated in the annual walk throughout the years. In 2009, everything changed. My son, Kevin, was born 10 weeks early and weighed only 3.5lbs. He spent 53 days in the NICU. Kevin had to learn and overcome everything that one can often take for granted. Simple tasks like breathing and eating were major hurdles. While in the NICU, I was directed to the March of Dimes. It was then that I began to understand the mission of the March of Dimes. I decided to find ways to give back to this organization. 18 months later, Savannah was born at 27 weeks and weighed 2lbs. I was faced with an even longer and more complicated NICU journey. Savannah needed surfactant, blood transfusions, medicine to close a small hole in her heart and spent over 60 days in the NICU before she breathed on her own. I am eternally indebted to the March of Dimes. The research they funded helped save Savannah's life. I never thought I would need the March of Dimes nor did I think I would directly benefit not just once-but twice! I look at Kevin and Savannah every day and I remember those babies that never got to go home. Those families who planned funerals instead of homecoming celebrations will forever linger in my thoughts. I am dedicated to the March of Dimes and am doing what I can to help build a bright future for babies. My desire is that no family experiences what these families did.

This passion led me to online fundraising which I love because it works well with my work schedule and family life. I do not have the time that other fundraising methods demand. I have been blessed with an amazing support group and a system of friends. I use pictures, facts, slideshows, goals and incentives to help raise money online. I send emails to almost everyone I know. I typically post a Facebook status every other day that relates back to the March of Dimes. I always include our team's website so they know that donating online is just a click away. I update my team’s website every year with pictures and a summary of our history with prematurity.  Below are some examples of how I post to Facebook and Instagram.

 ·         Pictures

I will post pictures of my kids at birth and current pictures so that my friends can see my kids’ growth. I may post something like the following: "Savannah was only 2lbs at birth. She is now a healthy active 2 year old because of the March of Dimes. We're working to overcome prematurity, but we can't do it without your help. Please donate! Visit online at www.marchforbabies.org/__ "

 ·         Personal Facts

Use personal facts to make that connection to the March of Dimes. I believe they work best because they help others understand why I am so passionate.  I do this by tying monetary amounts to personal statistics like their birth weight, gestational age at birth, or number of NICU days. For example: "Kevin was born 10 weeks too soon. Savannah was born 13 weeks too soon. Please consider donating to the March of Dimes so no baby is born too soon! Maybe you can donate $10 in honor of Kevin or $13 in honor of Savannah. Any amount helps. Visit our team page to donate online and learn more about the March of Dimes- www.__________ ".

 ·         Slideshows

My sister, Ashley, created a slideshow about their NICU journeys. It chronicles the journey by showing pictures from the baby bump until the day they came home and ends with a current picture. I took pictures everyday while in the NICU so she had a large picture selection. Ashley put them to music and the last slide lists ways to donate. I then posted this slideshow to FaceBook and to my personal blog.

 ·         Goals

I utilize the March of Dime's online tools to help announce my personal fundraising goal on my Facebook, emails and team's web page. I also incorporate goals into a Facebook status. For example: "Only 22 days left to the March for Babies. I am $150 away from goal of $1,000!! That's only $6.18 a day. YOU can donate $6.18 today and help me meet my daily goal!! Visit us online ______ "

 ·         Incentives

I usually save incentives for the home stretch. I use my own funds for the incentives so I try not to utilize this method unless I need it.  For me, food gift cards work best. Here is an example. "Donate today and be entered in a drawing for a $15 gift card to Starbucks. Drawing ends May 1^st. Donating online is easy and just a click away- visit us at _______________"

Finally, I always publicly thank my sponsors (unless they ask me not too). For example: “I would like to send a BIG thank you to Mike for his online donation. Mike- thank you SO much for supporting our team. We are getting closer to our goal. You can donate online too- Visit us at ____________”. I also send thank you emails at the end of the fundraising campaign. I include pictures of the walk and thank all who donated for helping me reach my goal. It is important to thank everyone especially if you plan to ask them every year. It encourages continued support for years to come.
 
The above examples helped my team and I raise over 5,000 dollars last year in online donations. It's simple. You can do it too! Do not be discouraged if the response is not immediate. People usually wait until the last minute to donate. Stay positive and keep pressing forward. Happy fundraising and best of luck for a successful 2013 campaign.

Written by Alicia Grant of family team Prayers Granted in San Antonio.

April is Autism Awareness month.

Did you know that the March of Dimes funds Autism research? In fact, in the past 10 years we have funded 55 grants totaling over $10.8 million. It is our hope that one day the answers we find will make further research unnecessary.

Fab Five Family Teams

Help us congratulate this week's top 5 family teams in Texas:

1. Team Schatzman -- Houston
2. Dr. Nirupama Patel Family Team -- Corpus Christi
3.  MathewSmith -- Houston
4. Team Grayson Garrett  -- Houston
5. Heart's Content -- Dallas

Congratulations!!

♥ March of Dimes Texas Chapter

Brooke's Story

Our lives changed forever on the afternoon of August 15^th, 2012.  I was traveling home from work on Highway 6 when I was involved in a head on collision with an elderly woman driving down the wrong way of the highway.  On this day I was 28 weeks pregnant with our first child, a daughter, named Reese Elizabeth Harrington.  Due to the high impact force of this wreck, she was killed instantly.  I sustained multiple injuries but was extremely blessed to survive that day.  My medical staff informed me that, had I not been pregnant, I would have most likely died in the wreck from internal bleeding.  They went on to say that Reese had saved my life.

What is a mother to do to honor the life of her daughter who saved her?  Why did I survive that day?  How could I turn this tragedy into something positive?  How would I honor Reese’s legacy and life?   Would I be strong enough to share my story of grief and let other grieving parents know that there is hope and help available.   These were the questions I pondered late at night while rocking my empty arms in her nursery.  I knew I needed to do something that would benefit others in her name.  I knew that if I could prevent one family from having to go through the heart ache of losing a child, I had the strength and will to do so.  On one of these sorrowful nights through my tears I was searching the internet on ways to honor a lost child.  I came across creating a team for the March of Dimes walk, March for Babies. Sometimes things resonate with you in your time of need.  The more I read on March of Dimes website, the more I began to realize that this would be a perfect way for me to honor Reese by helping babies who are born premature to have the very best medicine has to offer.  I thought what a great way for our family and friends to participate in walking with us to honor Reese and help other babies.

March of Dimes is celebrating 75 years of helping develop the polio vaccine to eliminate the disease and now they are working on preventing premature births and are helping more babies get the strongest, healthiest start.

As parents we don’t ever imagine our children dying before us.  My husband Andy & I have lived through deep sorrow and grief for our daughter. We are walking to honor Reese and to help families have the joy of bringing home a healthy baby.


Written by Brooke Harrington of Bryan/College Station family team, Reese's Pieces.

Kelly's Story

 

Being pregnant with our first was exciting. I have been healthy my whole life so the misery I was about to endure came as a surprise.  I had severe morning sickness (I made my mark all over Austin!) and contracted for months (the Terbutaline didn’t help).  I knew my first ever stay at a hospital was coming; I just didn’t realize it would be so soon and so often. In the end we saw 3 longhorn football games in a hospital room. 

At 29 weeks gestation, I was given a steroid shot (to help develop the baby’s lungs in the event he would make his appearance that week), admitted to the hospital and put on magnesium. I knew having a baby was going to be tough, but nothing prepared me for this.  The scariest part of this process was how excited the doctor was every day the baby still hadn’t come. Every day counts and weeks are huge milestones.  The day I hit 30 days gestation, there was not much time to celebrate.  The contractions were so strong I couldn’t bear it and I was rushed in for an emergency c-section.  The nurse swaddled our little miracle, brought that pink and perfect bundle over for a kiss from mommy and daddy and they all rushed off to our baby’s first home, the NICU. 

The gender took a backseat to the health of course, but we were finally able to take in the fact that our 3 pound, 3 ounce little boy was ready for his debut.  He fought hard and only had to stay in the NICU for 4 weeks.  Jett is a healthy, happy 4-year-old today.

He has a baby brother who thanks to progesterone and bed rest was born full term.  Cruz has a hole in his heart and was born with bilateral club feet, but he is doing well and at 8 months is crawling all over the place and hitting all of his milestones on time. 2 boys and 2 very different experiences.

We sought out the March of Dimes in an effort to help other families and with the wish that the day comes where others do not have to go through these scary battles.  We feel it is imperative to raise awareness for the March of Dimes and what they do to have a support system for families and to find a way to prevent these things from happening. 

We are a top family team in Austin every year thanks primarily to my job and Facebook.  Recruiting walkers to join your team is where it all begins. Enlist your family, friends, and all of your contacts on social media. I am a teacher and recruit my students and colleagues.  I get my neighbors; reach out to the Home Owner’s Association, Jett’s preschool, and soccer team.  You come into contact with many people everyday that would probably love to help such a great cause.  You just have to give them the opportunity.  You will be surprised with who all you can get to join in supporting this cause.

 

Written by Kelly Wadsworth, Team Captin of Austin Family Team Celebrate Jett.

You've been touch by the March of Dimes if:

• You or your baby received a polio vaccine
• Your baby or one you know was cared for in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU)
• Your baby or one you know was born prematurely and received the advanced care that the March of Dimes has researched, funded and supported
• You are aware that women of childbearing age should take a multivitamin with folic acid to de-crease the risk of neural tube defects
• You are aware that alcohol, tobacco, and drug use during pregnancy can result in poor birth outcomes
• Your baby or a baby you know suffered from respiratory distress syndrome and received lifesaving lung surfactant therapy

Tracy's Story

Sometimes we stumble across something that resonates with us… Maybe it’s because it sounds familiar; maybe it’s because it sounds interesting; or maybe it’s because it tugs a little at our heart.  Whatever the reason, life sometimes offers us moments that can change us for the better.

Four and a half years ago, my life shattered in an instant.  I was a happy mother of two little boys only eighteen months apart.  My youngest, Nash, was just about to turn six months old, and I was finally settling into my life with two babies.  On July 1, 2008, Nash started having trouble breathing, was rushed to the hospital, and passed away a few short hours later.  It was soon discovered that he had been suffering from an undiagnosed heart condition, which caused his heart to become enlarged, and eventually not be able to pump the way it was supposed to. 

In the last four and half years, our family has worked hard to put our lives back together, piece by piece, knowing that we will never truly be whole again.  We’ve come up against many stumbling blocks on our path of grief, but have also found some rays of light.  One of those rays of light came in 2009, when a great friend invited us to walk with her Family Team in the March for Babies event in Dallas.  She explained how the raised funds support important research and programs that help babies begin healthy lives.  And this became my light bulb moment.

Was it really possible that I could be a part of an organization that funds research that could help find cures and screenings that could save babies’ lives?  Could I really be instrumental in keeping other parents from having to endure the heartbreak of saying good-bye to their child? Could I share my story with grieving parents, to assure them that they are not alone?  The answers were immediately evident: yes, yes, and yes. 

March of Dimes has been a sign of hope for so many families for so many years.  Because of this organization, polio has been eliminated from our country, preterm babies’ lungs can be developed sooner, and newborn screenings have become a routine part of every baby’s first days in the hospital.   What better way to give back than to become a small part of it?

Every Family Team has a reason for joining the March For Babies – the influence of a friend, a co-worker, a family member, or their own child.   Walking among the thousands of people on the day of the March is humbling and inspiring.  But being a part of the “behind the scenes” is even better.  By being a member of the Family Teams Committee, not only do I raise money for my own team, but I get to help other groups that are eager to be a part of this experience. 

March of Dimes NEEDS real people, with real life experiences to make the 2013 March For Babies an even bigger success than in years past.  There is so much that needs to be done leading up to the big event.   Imagine the satisfaction of seeing all of your hard work pay off as you influence other people to save the lives of our littlest Texans.

Family Team Heart's Content at the Dallas March for Babies in 2012

 

Written by: Tracy Sievers, Dallas Family Team Heart's Content

We're Looking for Volunteers!

It's March of Dimes 75th Anniversary so we want everyone to help us celebrate by participating in March for Babies!  We're making calls to teams who participated last year, but have yet to sign up for March for Babies 2013, and we need your help doing it.  If you're interested in volunteering your time by making calls to these teams, email Lauren Turner at lturner@marchofdimes.com for more information.

Thank you for having a heart for babies!

♥ The Texas Chapter March of Dimes

Win an iPad!

The Texas Chapter is giving away an iPad!  Any walker who registers online for March for Babies 2013, takes the challenge to Be your Best for Babies, and raises $75 within seven days will be entered to win. 

If you have raised $75 thus far, your name will be eneterd as well.  The deadline is March 15th, drawing is held April 1st.

♥ The March of Dimes Texas Chapter

Join us in Celebrating March of Dimes 75th Anniversary!

Don't miss out on the fun! Sign up your Family Team today at www.marchforbabies.org.

♥ March of Dimes Texas Chapter

Congratulations to the Top Texas Family Teams of 2012

1		5K Bustin for Justin
2		Team Schatzman
3		Team Coy
4		Team Grace - Dallas
5		Sari's Soldiers
6		The Woodlands Mothers of Multiples
7		Plano NICU Parents
8		MathewSmith
9		Team Grayson Garrett
10		Heart's Content
11		Celebrate Jett
12		Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden
13		TEAM CARTER CRUMP
14		Prayers Granted
15		KAPOM
16		Four J's
17		Team E2-Nag
18		Team Madeline Emiley
19		Layne's Team
20		The Haynes Phamily
21		Team Tadpole Clark
22		Moya Triplets
23		Our Angels Amarillo
24		Mid-Cities Mothers of Multiples
25		Gabriel and Wesley's Team
26		Team Truman
27		Katelynn's Dream Team 2012
28		Team Bonner- MoMo Duo
29		SabLouDel Strollers
30		TEAM EMMALYN
31		The McCoy 2 Step
32		GARRETT TOWNSEND
33		Cinco
34		Our Little Lady Bugs
35		Team Bearett
36		Texas Tiny Troopers
37		Hunter's Troops
38		Angels for Gabriel
39		Kate and Patrick
40		Lanay's Ladybugs
41		Team Bryson
42		Caysn
43		Team Riley 1LB 13OZ
44		Running for Aidan
45		Team_Manna
46		MadilynnRose
47		Early Babies
48		4 The Love of Alex
49		CarsonTrips
50		Team Connor Ranelle

A big thank you goes out to all Family Teams for raising money for the March of Dimes in an effort to give every baby a healthy start! 

♥ The March of Dimes Texas Chapter