March of Dimes

We have been asked to be the 2012 March of Dimes Ambassador Family for Daviess County!  We are so excited to be a small part of this very important organization.  

Most people are aware of the tremendous work the March of Dimes does in relation to premature births, but they are also very active in funding research to treat and prevent birth defects.  Eli's future is dependent on medical advances.  After his third heart surgery, we wait.  The goal of his three surgeries is to make his heart as functional as possible for as long as possible.  That could be a few months, a few years, or a decade or two...we have no way of knowing, but we do know it's not long enough.  At some point he could be placed on the transplant waiting list.  It would be a last resort effort, not to mention an awful thing to wish for.                                                                                                                                                                    

Our hope is that research will provide breakthroughs in the field of pediatric cardiology.  Maybe a mechanical right ventricle will be developed that could replace or delay a transplant?  Maybe a new way of re-routing his blood flow that will be more efficient for him?  The possibilities are endless, but funding is not.  The March of Dimes is a well-known organization with a proven record of making a difference in healthcare.  

How does the March of Dimes affect you?  Have you had polio?  Probably not, because the March of Dimes funded the research that developed a polio vaccination.  After that was done, they turned their efforts to the prevention and treatment of premature birth.  Since then, their mission has expanded to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

This has quickly become something that Bryan and I feel strongly about, and we are privileged to be involved.  Until we became involved with the March of Dimes, we didn't realize how instrumental they are in birth defect research.  If we, as a family who's been deeply affected by heart defects, weren't fully aware of the full capacity of the March of Dimes, then what does the general population know? 

            Our goal is to raise awareness of that side of the March of Dimes.  Our hopes for Eli lie in medical advances.  His first heart surgery was a procedure that wasn’t routinely done until about fifteen years ago.  What advances will the next fifteen years bring?  We also don’t want other babies and their families to suffer through the complex issues we’re facing.  The only way to find the cause and treatments for these and other defects, is more research.

            We started a team and called it "Eli's MVPs."  We are currently consumed with planning fundraisers to reach (and hopefully surpass!) our goal.  If you have any fundraising suggestions, please let us know.  We will let you know about different events as we plan them.  The conclusion of our 2012 fundraising will be the March for Babies Walk in Daviess County.  It is scheduled for April 14 --- that's only 57 days from today!!!  


             Please visit our team page http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/ElisMVPs and consider making a donation.  Thank you for reading and making time for us in your lives!  Your support is amazing and very appreciated!