NorthCoastOregon.com

Community

Local March of Dimes Fundraiser on Saturday

Walk for the Babies May 3rd. On the Astoria Waterfront, starting at the Memorial Park under the bridge.

The March of Dimes was created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt originally called the Nation Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Eddie Cantor created the first grassroots fund-raiser for the National Foundation, asking the public to send dimes to President Roosevelt at the White House. The effort was called the March of Dimes, which later became part of the official name of the foundation. They gave their first research grant to Yale University. In 1939 they created their first chapter. Their main goal was aid in eliminating polio.

The First WalkAmerica (now called Walk for Babies), a fundraiser where people donate and people walk to raise money for March of Dimes, took place in San Antonio Texas in 1970.

Research they have funded are; running trials on vaccines, prevention of mental retardation, first prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell anemia. And their research on nitric oxide led to a new treatment to treat deadly lung disorder.

Surgery they have funded; first in utero treatment for a birth defect, treating baby within the womb for birth defects, first successful surgery to correct urinary blockage in an unborn baby, Babies & You program, development of newborn screening tests, many first lifesaving and intensive surgeries in utero, including spina bifida in 1998

They also support the leading scientist is gene therapy, leading to discoveries and treatment of hemophilia and retinitis pigmentosa.

They lead campaigns to educate woman to have healthy pregnancies, including taking B vitamin and folic acid, to avoiding alcohol, and not just in the US but also in other countries, from Ecuador to Honduras and others. The March of Dimes promotion of folic acid fortification and awareness contributed to a 21 percent decline in the occurrence of neural tube birth defects between 1995 – 2000.

Some legislation they have been a part of are Mothers’ and Newborns’ Health Protection Act, State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), Birth Defects Prevention act, The PREEMIE Act

4 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to those funded by The March of Dimes. Including last year Mario R. Capecchi, PhD; Sir Martin I. Evans, PhD, DSc, FRS; and Oliver Smithies, D.Phil. FRS, gained the Prize in Developmental Biology

Last year the March of Dimes volunteer efforts lead to increase in newborn screening. Nearly 90 percent of all babies born in the U.S. – more than double the percentage in 2005 – live in states that require screening for at least 21 of 29 life-threatening but treatable disorders.

Locally the regional goal is to do better than last year, which was $23,000 in our region.

One of the walkers, and group leaders for the local Astoria Walk for Babies, is Tonya Houston from Seaside Oregon. Along with her husband Gordon Houston, they have been involved with The March of Dimes for over 6 years. 6 years ago Tonya was pregnant with her first daughter, Marisa.

Premature births can happen to even the healthiest of us in developed nations. It is a local issue, not just an overseas one. Tonya kept all her pre-natal appointments, and did everything “you are supposed to do to maintain a healthy pregnancy.” However, at 20 weeks she awoke not feeling quite right, and called her PB who was in Portland, so she went into Portland, approximately 2 hour drive. Houston recalled, “ A very quick exam shattered our entire universe.”

After going on best rest and being sent home, as there was nothing to be done for her at the hospital. “23 weeks was at the cusp of viability, with a 10% chance of living. I was hoping for 24 or 25 weeks gestation” informed Houston. “On April 6th, we made the sad drive to St. Vincent Hospital. I knew that this day would be my last day being pregnant. But more… I knew my baby girl, my Marisa, was going to die.” On April 7th 2002 her dear daughter, lived for 40 minutes, weighed 1 pound, 7 ounces and was 11 inches long. She was a wreck for a long time and her husband Gordon ended up in the emergency room because of the stress.

After two years of trying everything to conceive, they gave up trying, but finally it just happened, and she got pregnant. This sent her into another whole range of emotions, and she was very terrified, “more than terrified.” She again had to be on bed rest, and take measures to prevent Morgan from arriving prematurely.

However at 26 weeks 3 days her second daughter, Morgan was born via emergency c-section. She was 1 pound, 11 ounces and only 13 inches long. Morgan was born with life threatening issues, that fluctuated daily, and almost hourly, “she had dozens of blood transfusions, brain scans, stopping and starting feeds, IV lines, heel pokes, you name it.” She needed to be resuscitated almost daily. After many lengthy return trips to the ER, “She came home on oxygen, a heart monitor, and pulse oximeter, as well as a feeding tube.”

“Her first 2 years were not easy. We became known at Emanuel Hospital’s children’s ER, as well as the Pediatric ICU. It seemed like just about every week we were at the ER or being admitted to the PICU. Today, she is almost 4, and She still manages an ER visit every once in a while. But for the most part she is healthy.”

“If it had not been for March of Dimes, she would have died within hours of her birth. Their funding helped find surfactant therapy, that helps a premature infants lungs from sticking together and collapsing. She had 2 doses of it at birth. She was too tiny for normal IV lines and intebation tubes, and it was March of Dimes funding that brought about “preemie sized” medical supplies. Aside from all the medical stuff they have founded, when I had Morgan I was given a journal and a NICU dictionary of sorts, to help me understand what was happening, what to expect with a 26 weeker, and understanding the terminology that the doctors use in the NICU. They have a great online support forum as well” says Houston.

Tonya and Gordon Houston encourage everyone to come and join with them to support the March of Dimes.
“We are in need of more walkers. Either as teams or individual walkers. You can register for our North coast walk at http://www.marchforbabies.org. We walk on May 3rd at 9am. It’s a gorgeous walk, starting at the fisherman’s memorial park under the bridge and goes all the way to the 19th pier and back. Of course you can turn around at any point! Then join us for a picnic with free refreshments and food!”

Alternatively anyone feeling like donating can do so at the above link, or here http://www.marchforbabies.org/468624 if you want to help sponsor Team Marisa.

No Comments Yet