Local communities host walk to save premature babies
On Sunday, April 29, Libertyville will join five other Chicago area cities in the fight to prevent premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality during the March for Babies, the largest annual walk of the March of Dimes.
At least 500 walkers will gather at the Old School Forest Preserve in Libertyville beginning at 8 a.m. for registration. The 3.1-mile walk kicks off at 9 a.m. Other cities hosting March for Babies are: Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Midlothian, Naperville and St. Charles.
Each year, more than half a million babies are born too soon. Far too many die, making premature birth the leading cause of death in newborns. More than 120,000 babies a year are born with serious defects that become lifelong disabilities. In Illinois, 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely every year.
March for Babies supports the March of Dimes' fight to save babies from premature birth and other serious threats to infant health by conducting top-level research.
Each year, an ambassador family is chosen for every walk site. This year's Lake County ambassador family is the Davis family of Waukegan.
Sonji Davis, a teacher, volunteered for March of Dimes through her college sorority, Delta Sigma Theta at Northern Illinois University. But it wasn't until she had premature twins did she truly understand the impact of March of Dimes' work.
At 20 weeks gestation, Davis was placed on bed rest. She gave birth five weeks later via emergency C-section to twin daughters, Madison and Makaylah. Madison was 1 pound, 7 ounces, while Makaylah was 1 pound, 14 ounces.
Makaylah needed surgery to remove an air bubble in her lungs, but still had trouble regulating her body temperature and blood pressure. She experienced seizures and bleeding to her brain so severe she died 24 hours after birth.
Madison was equally sick, but showed improvement after blood transfusions, oxygen support and phototherapy. She began a feeding tube and her lungs developed over three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Northwestern Memorial's Prentice Women's Hospital.
Madison is now 5 and shows no developmental delays due to her prematurity. She attends a fine arts magnet school and loves competing in pageants.
“March of Dimes was that saving grace for me and my family as we went through the challenging life after premature birth,” Davis said.
March for Babies began in 1970 and remains the March of Dimes' largest fundraiser. It is expected to draw more than 1 million walkers across America.
For more information, or to join the Lake County walk April 29, visit marchforbabies.org or call Amy Beck at (312) 765-9033.