Laura Krumwiede 1991, Naperville IL
Laura was the first healthy child selected as March of Dimes national ambassador, an innovation to the national ambassador program focusing on healthy children born prematurely. Laura was born three months prematurely, and was given a 40% chance of survival. She weighed less than two pounds, her lungs were unable to function, and she spent the first nine days of life on a respirator.
Edward Michael Eissey 1992, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Edward was born 13 weeks early and weighed only 1 pound, 11 ounces. He spent more than two months in a NICU. Earlier, in the 1970s, the March of Dimes initiated, helped organize, and contributed funding for a regional system of NICUs, making it possible for more infants to be treated in technically advanced units.
Jessica Hope Gordon 1993, Pittsburgh, PA
Jessica was born 16 weeks early and weight barely 1.5 pounds at birth. She spent 109 days fighting for her life in a NICU. Her parents were dedicated members of Pittsburgh’s “Parents Helping Parents of Intensive Care Newborns,” a family-support precursor to March of Dimes NICU Family Support launched in 2003.
Neil and Jacquelin Burch 1994, Cincinnati, OH
The Burch twins were born as triplets, but their sister Courtney died at eight months from complications due to prematurity. Neil and Jacqueline were born three months prematurely and spent 11 weeks in a NICU. They were treated with pulmonary surfactant for respiratory distress syndrome, a therapy whose development was funded by the March of Dimes in the 1980s.
Devin Knight 1995, Springville, UT
Devin was born 2½ months prematurely weighing three pounds. He was delivered prematurely because his mother suffered from toxemia, making his early delivery necessary to save both their lives. Devin suffered from life-threatening Respiratory Distress Syndrome along with other complications due to low birthweight. He received surfactant therapy for RDS.
Marissa Shaevel 1996, Woodland Hills, CA
Marissa was born 12 weeks early weighing two pounds, five ounces. She was not expected to survive due to underdeveloped lungs and blocked ureter. Marissa underwent six operations to repair her ureter and kidney to prevent loss of the organ.
Cody Groce 1997, Elkin, NC
Cody Groce was born with a congenital urinary tract blockage, undergoing 11 operations and 19 hospitalizations by the time he was four years old. His mother had had three miscarriages before Cody, and his medical problems were detected thanks to very early prenatal care.
T. J. Stallbaumer 1998, Rogers, AR
T. J. was born prematurely with a life-threatening lung problem. He weigh just one pound, ten ounces at birth and survived thanks to surfactant therapy. His doctors also repaired a hole in his large intestine. Three of the physicians that handled his case had received March of Dimes grants for developing methods of maintaining body temperature of premature babies, studying fetal lung maturation, and improving treatment of anemia common in premature babies.
Kelsey Adams 1999, Clinton, MS
Kelsey Adams remains the only March of Dimes national ambassador who was born on time and completely healthy. She was selected to publicize the March of Dimes Folic Acid Campaign. Her parents had previously given birth to a baby who died from complications due to a neural tube defect, and her mother then prepared for pregnancy with Kelsey by taking folic acid.
Mackenzie Brooks 2000, Ridgewood, NJ
Mackenzie was born eight weeks prematurely and weighed three pounds, eight ounces at birth. Her mother began to bleed severely at seven months and was rushed to an emergency room. Mackenzie was born and went into severe respiratory distress; a short time later both her lungs collapsed. Her life was saved by surfactant therapy.
Justin Washington 2001/2002, Miami, FL Justin was born four months prematurely at one pound, 8.5 ounces. He spent the first four months of his life in an NICU, receiving surfactant therapy for severe respiratory distress and undergoing numerous surgeries. Justin is the only March of Dimes national ambassador who was selected for this role for two consecutive years.
Emma Henderson 2003, Oklahoma City, OK
Emma was born three months prematurely, weighing one pound, twelve ounces. She spent 101 days in a NICU and underwent five neurosurgeries by the time she was one year old. She lives with a permanent shunt in her brain and had mild cerebral palsy. Emma was March of Dimes national ambassador in the year that the Foundation launched its Prematurity Campaign.
Amanda Reeves 2004, Greenville, SC
Amanda was born 14 weeks early, weighing just one pound, 7.4 ounces. She was so tiny her father could slip his wedding ring over her hand to her shoulder. She spent 84 days in a NICU, receiving surfactant therapy and treatments for anemia and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a heart disorder. For this she was treated by drugs instead of surgery thanks to research funded by the March of Dimes.
Navy Anderson 2005, Logan, UT
Navy was born prematurely and weighed one pound, six ounces at birth. She had cardiac surgery when her heart was no larger than a garbanzo bean, and she absorbed so many blood transfusions that her blood type changed temporarily. Navy also underwent lung treatments and eye surgery.
Alexa Ostolaza 2006, Gainesville, FL
Alexa was born 15 weeks early, weighing one pound four ounces, and she spent 108 days in a NICU. Her mother had developed dangerously high blood pressure, and Alexa’s delivery was a medical emergency. She developed mild cerebral palsy and lives with a permanent shunt in her brain due to a brain bleed.
Zeek Taylor 2007, Durham, NC
Zeek was born prematurely, weighing one pound 14 ounces. Surfactant therapy was administered immediately to help his immature lungs inflate, and during his 103 days in a NICU he struggled with anemia, abnormal blood flow from the heart, and jaundice. Zeek underwent several surgical procedures to correct reflux problems, retinopathy of prematurity, hernias, and pressure on his brain due to meningitis.
Catherine Aboulhouda 2008, Allentown, PA
Catherine was born 16 weeks early, weighing one pound ten ounces. Her eyes were fused shut, she fought for every breath, and spent 113 days in a NICU with problems such as heart defect, brain bleeds, jaundice, and a heart murmur.
Katelyn Hall 2009, Leesburg, VA
Katelyn was born extremely prematurely at 25 weeks, weighing less than one pound and measuring the length of a ballpoint pen. Her parents were informed that she had only a 5% chance of survival. After five months in a NICU, she arrived home healthy but with the aftereffects of certain developmental delays and mild cerebral palsy.
Joshua Hoffmann 2010, Weston, FL
Joshua was born extremely prematurely at 24 weeks, weighing one pound 11 ounces. During a 14-week stay in a NICU he received treatment for serious breathing, heart, and vision problems. Afterwards, he continued to need eye surgery.
Lauren Fleming 2011, Marvin, NC
Lauren was born at 23 weeks, weighing two pounds one ounce. During a five-month stay in a NICU, she was treated for respiratory distress and underwent multiple surgeries related to a damaged vocal cord and a heart defect.
Kieran Wittstruck 2012, Seattle WA.
My husband, Shane, and I never once thought of pregnancy as a life-or-death event,” Shalini Wittstruck recalls. “Then one day our lives and all our expectations changed.” Their son, Kieran, was born at 31 weeks, and just 3 lbs., 1 oz. He spent the first month of his life in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), battling anemia, jaundice, apnea, bradycardia, a heart murmur and a brain cyst. With medical advances supported by the March of Dimes, Kieran pulled through.
Nina Centofanti 2013, Cincinatti, OH
Chris and Vince Centofanti thought they knew all about preterm birth. She was a neonatal nurse-practitioner caring for critically ill babies, and he worked for GE Healthcare's Maternal-Infant Care division, providing specialized medical equipment to hospitals. Today Nina Centofanti has grown into an active 7-year-old who loves to dance, climb trees and turn handsprings. She has been named the March of Dimes 2013 National Ambassador.
Aidan LaMothe 2014, New Hampshire
Aidan Lamothe came into this world suddenly and violently at 28 weeks. But Aidan was a fighter and his mother credits the March of Dimes, steroids and good prenatal care for Aidan's good health today.
Elijah Jackson 2015, Chicago, IL
In 2002, Elise and Todd Jackson were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child. Elise’s pregnancy appeared to be progressing normally, until, at 20 weeks, she awakened one morning to find that her water had broken. Elise went to a hospital, but since active labor contractions had not yet begun, doctors administered IV fluids and advised bed rest.A month later, Elijah Jackson was born at 25 weeks and one day of pregnancy – about 15 weeks too soon. He weighed one pound and one ounce.He was 11 inches long, the length of a sheet of business paper. Initially, he was given only a 10 percent chance to survive and spent seven months in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit. He underwent several delicate surgeries in the early weeks of life, and has been through years of physical, speech and occupational therapy for the long-lasting health consequences of his early birth. For his first two years he had a tracheotomy (open airway in the windpipe in his neck) to help him breath, and was unable to speak. Today, Elijah’s speech is greatly improved but he still has developmental delays and is enrolled in special education classes.
Ismael Torres-Castrodad 2016-17, Puerto Rico
Ismael Torres-Castrodad of San Juan, Puerto Rico, born five weeks prematurely, has been named the March of Dimes 2016 National Ambassador. He’s the first child from Puerto Rico to be named to this position in the history of the March of Dimes.
Ismael’s story emphasizes the serious and complex problem of late preterm birth, (between 34-36 weeks of pregnancy). His story will resonate with millions of families because more than 70 percent of all preterm babies are born in this late preterm time frame, the March of Dimes says. And like so many other mothers of preemies, Isamari Castrodad did everything she could to have a healthy, full-term baby but Ismael still was born too soon.
