Make an impact for families
The Wilton Family
Katie Wilton endured multiple hemorrhages when she was 22 weeks pregnant, but doctors couldn’t figure out what was causing the bleeding. Her daughter Colette was born at 30 weeks, weighing just 3 pounds, 1 ounce. March of Dimes played an important role in saving Colette’s life. She received surfactant, a treatment developed by March of Dimes-funded research. Katie says, “Colette would have had greater pulmonary issues than she does had we not had surfactant therapy to protect her lungs.” Today she volunteers with March of Dimes, and she advocated on behalf of the health of moms and babies on Advocacy Day for our March for Change campaign. “I’m extremely passionate about advocating to get all parents access to the specialized maternal health care that they need,” she says.
Support March of Dimes on Giving Tuesday, November 29, as part of the global generosity movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate generosity.
Unfortunately, in the U.S., too many moms face pregnancy-related complications, and too many babies are born too soon or very sick. By donating to March of Dimes on Giving Tuesday, you’re fighting to end preventable maternal health risks and death, end preterm birth and close the health equity gap for every family.
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Read more about the Wilton’s story
Your Giving Tuesday gift helps us provide advocacy, programs, education and research to support parents throughout their pregnancies so that every mom and baby can get the best possible start.
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Your support helps us mobilize thousands of advocates to demand change to protect the health of families.
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Thanks to you and so many others like you, we can ensure 50,000 NICU families receive valuable support and education.
Research
Your donation helps fund research at Prematurity Research Centers dedicated to improving birth outcomes.
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Your donation makes it possible to offer Implicit Bias Training to thousands of health care professionals.
Stories
These are some of the people who inspire us to improve maternal and infant health.
COMING TO TERMS WITH NOT GOING TO TERM: A COUPLES’ JOURNEY THROUGH PRETERM BIRTH
THE CATO FAMILY
FINDING THE SILVER LINING
For Katie and Neil Cato from rural northeast Georgia, starting a family was far from easy, requiring assistance through a fertility doctor and in vitro fertilization. Once they were pregnant, at 24 weeks, an ultrasound found issues with blood flow through the umbilical cord. Katie and Neil had traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, the nearest city with more advanced equipment. At this monitoring, they couldn't detect the baby’s heartbeat. Next came a whirlwind of doctors and specialists, including a high-risk fetal specialist. A neonatologist told them what to expect when Brooks was born—if he survives delivery.
As first-time parents, they were overwhelmed. Four days later, at 25 weeks, Brooks entered the world through Cesarean birth. The Catos needed guidance and help. Then, something wonderful happened.
Read more about the Cato’s story
THE PEARMAN FAMILY
PREGNANT, UNSEEN, UNHEARD
Imagine feeling unseen and unheard by your doctor when you express your concerns…and then having a stroke a week after giving birth. At 40 weeks of pregnancy, Shannel Pearman’s doctor discovered that she had high blood pressure and tested her for preeclampsia. She was assured that she was fine and was sent home. “I felt like something wasn't right,” Shannel says. “I voiced my concerns and my concerns were dismissed.”
That Saturday, Shannel and Jared went into the hospital as planned for Jayce’s birth. He was delivered healthy via Cesarean birth, and the three of them got to go home together. But a week later, their lives were turned upside down when Shannel had a stroke and needed emergency brain surgery—and then a second brain surgery several weeks later.
Read the Pearman’s story
