Johnson was one of about 300 people who participated in the March for Babies in Seymour.
Wearing a blue T-shirt that read "Bryce and Jackson's Buddies," Johnson said her son, Jackson, 2, was born 10 weeks premature. Bryce, 4, the son of her fellow teacher at Brownstown Elementary School, Jennifer Peak, was born seven weeks premature.
"Both boys are full of energy and are doing great," Johnson said.
Johnson said looking back now at the time when her son was born she wonders how she got through it.
"Initial support from family and friends pushes you through," she said.
Now, she said they want to support others who are in the situation they have been through.
"We want to help those now who are facing challenges with premature babies," Johnson said.
Johnson was surrounded by family, friends, students from Brownstown Elementary and staff members Saturday morning as she made the walk.
"We have great support at our elementary school," Johnson said. She said the school raised $2,000 for March of Dimes this year.
Kimberly Jewell, senior community director for the Indiana Chapter of March of Dimes, said the March for Babies becomes an annual tradition for many families.
"Many families, and even companies, participate each year, and each year it seems like we have new family teams that just in the last six months to a year had a child born prematurely in their family, perhaps a birth defect," she said. "It's very personal to a lot of our family teams and even to our corporations it's a great cause and a great mission."
Jewell said for each dollar raised during the March for Babies, 77 cents goes toward research. The total raised at the walk in Seymour on Saturday was not available.
"Really when we talk about saving babies, we are saving the future. That's our future leaders. I think everyone can get behind that and get behind saving babies," Jewell said.
As "Celebration" played over the loudspeaker, Kathy Nelson cheered on the walkers as they passed through the gate to leave the track for the four-mile route.
"Have fun out there," Nelson said as walkers passed her. A cheerleader for those walking, Nelson said her family believes in the March of Dimes.
"She spent eight weeks at IU," Nelson said of her daughter, Erin, 8, who was born in August 2001 at 32 weeks, or eight weeks early.
"We brought her home around her original due date," Nelson said. "It's a scary situation, having a baby born at 32 weeks."
Now, mother and daughter are doing what they can to help other families in that situation.
"Anything we can do to help so other families don't have to go through that," Nelson, who is a committee member for Saturday's walk, said. The Nelsons were on the SIHO Insurance team. They have been involved with the March of Dimes for the past six years.
Full of energy Saturday morning, Erin said she hopes to continue to participate in the March for Babies as she grows up and thinks that participating is important "'cause I was a baby that was born early."
-----
To see more of The Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tribtown.com/.
Copyright (c) 2010, The Tribune, Seymour, Ind.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
© YellowBrix, Inc. Copyright 1997-2009 Families Join Fight Against Premature BirthsOriginally from: http://www.nursinglink.monster.com/news/articles/12105-families-join-fight-against-premature-births
View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/families-join-fight-against-premature-births-2
No comments:
Post a Comment