Zakk Slater radio personality from K92.3 shares his story about Baby Olivia who was born prematurely. He joins The Gift of Life in supporting World Prematurity Day by asking his listeners to wear purple to help raise awareness for premature birth.
1 in 10 babies is born prematurely according to the March of Dimes statistics. The Gift of Life provides emotional support during the crisis that the parents are enduring while they are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Being in the NICU as a parent is a stressful time and having parent mentors to give you encouragement during that time is one of the services that the Gift of Life offers to families. This is why it is important to recognize premature birth on November 17 by wearing purple and making donations. Not everyone knows what it is like to endure premature birth, but imagine this…..having a baby so small that he fits in the palm of your hand, being born 13 weeks early, and weighing 1lb and 10oz. That is the story of Rosie and Marcus Moore founders for The Gift of Life, but this is not just their story; many others endure this crisis.
Visit The Gift of Life today at www.thegiftoflife27.org to become involved or make a donation.
Join our online facebook event raising awareness for Premature birth. Wear purple Friday and or Saturday, November 16th and 17th, take a picture or video in support of The Gift of Life
Every year Rosie and Marcus Moore founders of The Gift of Life, take November 17 World Prematurity Day as a day to remember their little miracle Kaleb that was born 13 weeks early at 27 weeks, weighing only 1lb 10oz and 12 inches long. They remember the almost 6 months that he lived in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) growing, having medical issues, and hanging on to every breath, wondering if it would be his last one. They cried, they prayed, and lost sleep for months and even years after he went home. At birth, he was only given a 5% chance of survival, while Rosie, hung on for life as well after the emergency c-section. Marcus was at a loss with his only child possibly not making it, the love of his life in serious condition following the surgery. He clung to God, but also to the song He’s My Son by Mark Schultz. He prayed those words, he shouted, God can you hear me. Somedays there was silence and the emotions overcame him because he could not stand another day going to see his son suffering.
As Rosie got better, his spirits were lifted through her encouragement, that God would not provide him a son to take him away. He grew stronger each day until the day he finally came home. This past September, The Gift of Life held their 5th annual charity gala and Rosie decided that she would put together an assimilation of what life in the NICU was like for parents. Marcus and Tisha were to perform in the assimilation together, but due to the unexpected hurricane Tisha, Mrs. Virginia International, mother of preemies herself, was not able to get out to Orlando. But because Orlando has a huge heart for charity, Karen Shriner, professional actress, and singer stepped into the role 2 days before the event and evoked emotion along with Marcus from the audience.
See some of the remarks from the guests:
“I was overtaken with emotion, I could not stop crying.”
” I already knew the story because I went through it with Marcus and Rosie, but seeing the show tonight, brought me back to that moment and I cried like a baby.”
“I never knew that parents endured these emotions.”
“I was scheduled to work and did not know that my job today was involving an event for premature babies, it brought me back to when my daughter was born 14 yrs ago, I could not stop crying and I am supposed to be working the event.”
The list went on of people sharing their emotions.
The assimilation started with founder Rosie Moore saying:
“Imagine your baby being born 13 weeks early, weighing 1lb 10oz and fitting in the palm of your hand.”
From there, The NICU awareness video played:
Then the assimilation with Karen Shriner and Marcus Moore started to the song He’s My Son” by Mark Schultz. It showed the daily fears, tears, struggles, emotions of two parents while their baby was in the NICU. That is the story of Rosie and Marcus. Florida Hospital partnered with The Gift of Life to sponsor the Isolette similar to the one little Kaleb was in when he stayed in the NICU.
Many times Rosie would be alone in the room not wanting to go home while Marcus would go to the chapel or on the other side of the room praying as Rosie hunched over the isolette still healing from her surgery, weary from lack of sleep, and hurting to see her son lying in an isolette connected to wires, IV’s, breathing machines, coding frequently setting off alarms. In this assimilation that is what Karen and Marcus are doing assimilating those moments in the NICU.
They share this story with you today not so that you can feel sorry for them or any other preemie parent but so that they can raise awareness of what is happening with preemie parents when they are in the NICU. These emotions are real and painful.
The Gift of Life needs your help, they can’t do this alone, it takes a village of volunteers, board members, and financial support to reach as many families as they can.
Visit them on their website www.thegiftoflife27.org for more information or to receive support
Thank you to our video sponsor Dan Sweeney of Megapixel Pro
What will you do to celebrate World Prematurity Day 2016? Even a small gesture can make a big impact on the preemie community. We at The Gift of Life invite you to join us in observing this very important but lesser-known holiday.
Raising awareness for preterm birth helps bring support to preemies and their families. It can also assist in increasing the chances that more babies will be born full-term. Premature birth doesn’t always occur because of something the mother did; there’s no single cause that can serve as the reason behind every case. But when a child is born prematurely, his or her family will need all the help, support, and encouragement they can get.
What is the purpose of World Prematurity Day?
The purpose of World Prematurity Day is to raise awareness for the cause of prematurity and the preemie community. Approximately 1 in 10 babies born in the U.S come by way of preterm birth. This high preemie birth rate ranks the U.S 131st out of 184 nations and makes us as a nation tied with Somalia when it comes to our babies being born too soon.
The impact of being born a preemie doesn’t stop its effects once a baby becomes a young child. As the March of Dimes reports, “Premature birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five worldwide”.
With more awareness comes more support and prevention. For preemies and their families, World Prematurity Day also serves to acknowledge their challenges and their triumphs.
Celebrate World Prematurity Day on Twitter and Facebook by posting your related comments and stories, promoting the preemie support nonprofit organization of your choice, and/or just connecting with others, reading their stories, and voicing your support. You can use the hashtags #givethemtomorrow and #worldprematurityday.
On Your Own:
Can’t decide what to wear today? Well, World Prematurity Day is for wearing purple. This is the color of prematurity and by wearing it on this day you demonstrate to others your support for our cause. Don’t have a purple shirt to wear? Consider preparing for next year’s celebration by purchasing a purple t-shirt or Gift of Life polo from our online store.
You can also decorate your home and/or office in purple. Perhaps you may like to put a purple ribbon on your car. Purple is to World Prematurity Day what green is to St. Patrick’s Day.
In honor of World Prematurity day, please share your story or sentiments in the comments section below. Also, please consider making a donation to the Gift of Life as a way to help make a difference in the preemie community on this very special day.
World Prematurity Day 2016 – What will you do for it?
Today is November 17, 2015, World Prematurity Day. It is the day that is selected to raise awareness about the number 1 killer of infants. According to the World Health Organization in the United States alone, 517, 400 premature births occur every year. Besides maternal illness or high blood pressure, diabetes, sometimes it is unknown why babies are born prematurely.
Visit their website for more information: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs363/en/
The Gift of Life was founded by Rosie and Marcus Moore after having a premature baby of their own. Kaleb was born at 1lb and 10 oz. He was born at 27 weeks and was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 5 months. What parents Rosie and Marcus did not know, was that besides Rosie being in danger due to the stroke level blood pressure she had and Kaleb suffering internally if he was not taken out, both of them could have died.
Two doctors worked together to save both their lives, Dr Walker( OB) and Dr Bernstein( neonatologist). After the delivery when Kaleb came home, she took him to her OB appt, to show Dr Walker how he was doing. She was told Dr Walker was no longer there and he no longer was doing obstetrics. Rosie thought that was odd, but did not think of anything of it. This year when Rosie went to her yearly check up, another doctor was there of the seven they had. He asked about the pregnancy and when he asked about Kaleb and she shared his age and weight, the doctor said, “you are the one.” Rosie Moore asked what was he speaking of. He stated that Dr Walker left right after Kaleb was born because of the overwhelming emergency of the delivery. One can only imagine the emotions going through his mind.
What Dr Walker may not have known, is that on October 13, 2009, he saved two lives of a mother and son. He may have joked with Rosie telling her when they met the day before at the hospital, that one deceleration( an episode when the baby’s heart rate drops) and he was out, because this kid was going to Harvard. Rosie remembers that day and laughs today saying, ” I should have gotten that in writing.” Regardless, that quiet morning while she slept, Kaleb got in trouble, his breathing decreased and he had to come out. It was like a movie in the ER, doors flying open, codes being called, doctors on standby, nurses rushing. But within 15 minutes, baby Kaleb was out. Not the typical way a parent expects a child by emergency crash c-section.
Today, on World Prematurity Day, there is someone who you may know that is premature or had a baby that was. Help The Gift of Life raise awareness about premature births. Having a baby should be a normal process, but for some, it is not. Let’s band together as a community world-wide and give support to these parents who are having babies before time. These babies and parents did not ask for their baby to come early, so while this happens, lend emotional and financial support.
Premature babies can be our future doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, teachers, engineers, actors dancers, mothers , fathers, and any profession they choose. Someone gave them a chance, will you? Visit our website to see how you can become involved www.thegiftoflife27.org
