Thank you for taking the time to visit my Walk for Babies fundraising page to benefit the NICU Akron Children’s Hospital.  I am honored to be a part of Team Preemie Power. I have watched these amazing kids grow and thrive.

Mathew Michael and Morgan were born at 29 weeks. They weighed between 2 and 3 pounds each. My boys were on ventilators for about the first 10 days of their lives. They had most of the common problems associated with prematurity-blood transfusions, respiratory support, jaundice and IVs. Morgan was a rockstar, although she loved her vapotherm. The boys were a different story. Within the first week my boys were both diagnosed with PDA's (holes in the heart) and also with brain bleeds. Michael's bleeds were more severe than Mathew's. Over the next week Michael's head starting getting bigger, he was developing hydrocephalus. The bleeding in his brain was clotting and had blocked the cerebral spinal fluid from flowing as it should. At 3 weeks old he was being transported to Akron for brain surgery, to have a device put in his tiny head to help the doctors drain the fluid everyday. At that time, he was too small for a shunt, he would have to wait til he was bigger for that. Over the next two months, my tiny babies developed more, gained weight, needed less respiratory support, started taking bottles and started healing from all their "preemie" issues. No mother should have to leave the hospital empty handed after carrying their child/children. It is the most gut wrenching, helpless feeling to see your baby/babies in an isolette /incubator with wires and tubes coming out of everywhere. This all took place under the care of the most wonderful NICU nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists at Akron Children’s Hospital. This was one of the scariest and most heartbreaking times in my life, and yet I had to be the absolute strongest. I will forever be grateful for the NICU and my NICU journey.

#preemiestrong #prematurityawareness #tripleblessings #ourstory #akronchildrenshospital

In 2017, Walk for Babies hit a mile stone of over $1 Million dollars raised since 2008. In 2019, we installed the NICVIEW camera system in the Akron and Mahoning Valley campuses. This system allows parents access to their baby 24/7, much needed in today’s world.  Without the support of community members like you, Akron Children’s Hospital would not be able to supply the needed assistance to patients and their families in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Akron Children's Hospital's NICU treats 1,800 children annually and is nationally ranked according to U.S News & World Report.

Walk for Babies was created by one family and now has the support of over 1,700 participants, plus their friends and family. As we look towards the future, our goal is to continue to create a community event that makes an impact on local patients for many years to come. 

Akron Children’s Hospital is the largest pediatric healthcare provider in Northeast Ohio and provides care through more than 1,100,000 outpatient visits per year. Care is delivered at hospital campuses in Akron and the Mahoning Valley or in one of 27 pediatrician offices or 80 pediatric specialty locations across the region. Through gifts like yours, the hospital is able to purchase vital medical equipment, offer programs that bring extra comfort to families during difficult times and fund innovative research that helps identify new ways of diagnosing and treating illnesses.

Thank you for your support of Akron Children’s mission and dedication to improving the health of the communities served. I look forward to having you join me virtually on Sunday, October 4th!

As I progress in my fundraising endeavors, I hope that you check back frequently for updates and stories of patients in our communities.