Elgin boy named national ambassador for March of Dimes

Barely 1 pound, 1 ounce and 11 inches long, Elijah Jackson was given a 10 percent chance of survival upon entering this world at 25 weeks — nearly three months premature.

“The day after he dropped down to 495 grams, which is about the size of a peanut butter jar,” his mother said. “I had no clue how sick he was, or if he would even survive because he was so small.”

Elijah, now 12, beat the odds after spending seven months in Rockford Memorial Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.

The Elgin boy has been named the March of Dimes Foundation's 2015 National Ambassador. He will travel the country with his parents, Elise and Todd Jackson, to share the story of his survival and support March of Dimes' mission to improve the health of all babies.

The Jacksons became March of Dimes volunteers shortly after Elijah was born in 2002.

“It's an honor to share (our) story,” Elise Jackson said. “The not knowing is what really we struggled (with) because we didn't know how long he was going to be in the hospital. You just have to have patience and wait it out.”

Elijah underwent multiple surgeries during the first few weeks of his life. He had a tracheotomy — to open an airway in the windpipe — to help him breathe. He was unable to speak for two years. He was hooked up to a ventilator, oxygen tank and nasal cannula for breathing, and a feeding tube, Elise Jackson said.

Elijah also received physical, speech, occupational and developmental therapy during those first two years.

About 450,000 babies — one in nine births — are born prematurely in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Preterm birth — before 37 weeks of pregnancy — is the leading cause of death among newborns, and babies who survive often face increased risk of health concerns, such as breathing problems, cerebral palsy and developmental delays, said Doug Staples, March of Dimes spokesman.

“Even though premature birth is relatively common, a lot of people are not really aware what impact it has, what challenges families face,” Staples said. “Most babies in the U.S. do survive, but it's also a cause of major disabilities, hearing loss, vision problems.”

Extended hospital stays to care for severely premature babies can lead to enormous medical bills for parents, Staples said.

“It can cost $1 million or more for a baby that is severely premature,” Staples said. “An average premature birth can cost about $54,000. A normal birth is just over $4,000.”

Elijah's seven-month stay in the neonatal intensive care unit racked up $1.2 million.

Elise, a 26-year employee for United Airlines, said the company has committed to raising the funds to cover that cost. It also has been a national sponsor of the March of Dimes for 10 years.

“It's like surreal,” Elise said. “It's like I'm living in a dream.”

Now a seventh-grader at Larsen Middle School in Elgin, Elijah's speech has improved immensely, said his father.

“I pray and just stay thankful every day,” Todd Jackson said. “He is pure joy.”

Elijah still has developmental delays and is enrolled in special education classes.

He said his favorite subjects are math, social studies and science, and he likes playing basketball.

“I don't like taking tests a lot,” he added.

Staying focused and being in large group settings are still challenges, but Elijah has “excellent memory,” Elise Jackson said.

“He wants to share his story so that other kids can see there is always light at the end of the tunnel,” she added.

Elijah is the fourth child from the Chicago area to be named a March of Dimes National Ambassador — the first since 1991. He will lead the Lakefront March for Babies, a fundraising walk April 26 in Chicago's Grant Park.

“It is our largest fundraiser that helps fund neonatal intensive care unit family support, research and prenatal care services for women,” Staples said.