Your Shoes Were Made For Walking!

We have formed a March for Babies Team to help the March of Dimes work towards the day when all babies are born healthy. We are writing today to ask you to join us!

 

We are forming our team in honor of Molly who was born 13 weeks too soon.  By sharing our story, we hope to remind everyone of the urgency of the mission of the March of Dimes and inspire our friends and family to join our team.

 

Ours is not the only story of frightening, touch-and-go days in neonatal intensive care with our baby. Premature birth touches half a million babies and their families every year. Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. Birth defects pose another serious threat – taking the lives of many babies and cause lifelong disabilities for thousands more. So it’s important for us to help the March of Dimes help moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.

 

We are doing just that by participating in March for Babies as Team Molly’s Mission. No one is working harder than the March of Dimes to understand the causes of prematurity and birth defects. March for Babies offers hope by raising funds for lifesaving research, education and innovative programs that offer hope for preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects.

 

Won’t you join our Team at this wonderful event? Call me for further details, or go to marchforbabies.org and register online. Our team name is Molly’s Mission.  If you can’t join us, please consider sponsoring our team with your donation.  Just click below. Every dollar makes a difference!

 

One day all babies will be born healthy.  But we’ll have to walk to get there!  Thank you for your help.

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First Annual NICU Fundraiser at Pic n’ Paint Pottery

Molly’s Mission held its very first fundraiser!

From November 9-16^th all those who went to Pic n’ Paint Pottery in Pasadena Maryland and mentioned they were there for Molly’s Mission, had 10% of their sales go to help the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Anne Arundel Medical Center.  This gave many the chance to make personalized gifts for the holidays, and since November was National Prematurity Awareness Month, it was great timing.

Molly’s Mission raised nearly $800.00 for AAMC’s NICU. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to Pic n’ Paint Pottery.  Thank you to those who couldn’t make the event and mailed in your donation instead.  A big Thank You to CommerceFirst  Bank and their employees who adopted Molly’s Mission as their holiday giving charity!  And Thank You to Pic n’ Paint Pottery for being such a wonderful host!

 

We’re already working on our 2009 fundraisers!

The USA gets a D

The March of Dimes Report Card is out and the USA gets a D!  Sadly, 1 in 8 babies are born too soon, and the Nation’s premature birth rate continues to rise.

See how your state did and sign the Petition for Preemies!

 

Preemie Statistics

Did you know?

·         Preterm births occur in about 12 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S.  It is one of the top causes of infant death in this country.

·         1 in 10 premature babies will develop a permanent disability such as lung disease, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness.

·         50% of premature babies born before the 26th week of gestation are disabled, a quarter severely so.

Premature infants may face a number of health challenges, including:

·         Low birth weight

·         Breathing problems because of underdeveloped lungs

·         Underdeveloped organs or organ systems

·         Greater risk for life-threatening infections

·         Greater risk for a serious lung condition, known as respiratory distress syndrome

·         Greater risk for cerebral palsy (CP)

·         Greater risk for Autism

·         Greater risk for learning and developmental disabilities

 

Records

James Elgin Gill (born on 20 May 1987 in Ottawa, Canada) was the earliest premature baby in the world. He was 128 days premature (21 weeks and 5 days gestation) and weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. (624 g). He survived and is quite healthy.

Amillia Taylor is also often cited as the most-premature baby. She was born on 24 October 2006 in Miami, Florida, at 21 weeks and 6 days gestation. At birth she was 9 inches (23 cm) long and weighed 10 ounces (283 grams). She suffered digestive and respiratory problems, together with a brain hemorrhage. She was discharged from the Baptist Children’s Hospital on 20 February 2007.

The record for the smallest premature baby to survive was held for some time by Madeline Mann, who was born at 26 weeks weighing 9.9 oz (280 g) and 9.5 inches (24 cm) long. This record was broken in September 2004 by Rumaisa Rahman, who was born in the same hospital at 25 weeks gestation. At birth she was eight inches (20 cm) long and weighed 244 grams (8.6 ounces). Her twin sister was also a small baby, weighing 563 grams (1 pound 4 ounces) at birth.

What & Why?

What is Molly’s Mission?

Molly’s Mission is a charitable organization focused on helping Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) to have everything they need to give each baby everything they need for the best possible start in life.  Many of the items needed to care for these tiny patients are very expensive therefore making it impossible to have everything necessary.  Some things like clothing and such are not as expensive, but equally needed.  We strive to support NICU’s and their precious patients.

Molly’s Mission also hopes to raise prematurity awareness in every way we can.  We support the March of Dimes in their fight against prematurity.

 

Why Molly’s Mission?

Our second child was born 13 weeks premature.  It was the scariest and most difficult time in our lives.  We were very lucky to have our sweet Molly being cared for at a wonderful NICU.  We couldn’t have asked for better Doctors and Nurses.  During Molly’s two month stay at the NICU, we quickly learned everything that’s necessary to care for a premature or sick infant, as well as the cost.  We decided then it would be our Mission to help all NICU’s have what they need for every baby to get the best start in life.

In supporting the March of Dimes, and helping to raise prematurity awareness, we hope that one day all babies will be born healthy.

The inspiration behind Molly’s Mission – Molly Mae born 13 weeks premature at 2 lbs 9 oz & 13 in

The photo behind the logo:  Molly holding her big sister Emily’s finger at just 4 days old

The McFarland Family