Dear Family and Friends,
It has been a dream of mine since Everett was discharged from the hospital to participate in a March of Dimes walk. I’ve donated regularly to the organization since he was born, but I’ve always wanted to walk in his honor. Something about putting feet to pavement sounds cathartic. To be surrounded by families who have traveled the same road, shared the same thoughts, experienced the same fears all of which often separate you from “normal” parents...well, I’ve just always wanted to do it. Unfortunately walks in our area have been hard to come by, as they are usually hosted in larger cities like Fresno, San Francisco, and LA. That is until now!
The March of Dimes is holding a test march in Arroyo Grande on May 31st at 9am. If there is enough local interest, they will host a full march next year. Our family (Reece included) will be walking in Everett’s honor. The march will begin and end at the Clark Center. It is an easy four mile course that you can walk or run. All of the donations collected go directly to the March of Dimes and are put toward funding research in the battle against premature birth.
On a side note, did you know that the March of Dimes is one of the top organizations researching solutions to preterm births? And did you also know that without their research, Everett would not be alive today? I say that because it was the March of Dimes organization that discovered the life-saving medication that Everett was given at birth. It is called Surfactant and before it’s invention, micro-preemies like Everett rarely survived. It is a drug which coats the lungs and helps them to open so that oxygenation can take place. Everett received two doses of this medication in the moments following his birth and without it, his lungs would not have been able to breathe. Because of this the March of Dimes holds a special place in our hearts :-)
This is a no-pressure update. I simply wanted to inform “Everett’s prayer warriors” that we will be marching in his honor. We would be thrilled if you would like to join us. If you would also like to make a secure, tax-deductible donation, you can do so on our team page via the link below. Again 100% of all money raised goes straight to funding research. But no pressure (really). We are just excited to be fulfilling a dream that has been over four years in the making. I’m so excited to march in his honor and even more proud to be his mama!
Love,
The Bollinger Family
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| Because one baby born too early is one baby too many |
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