Health & Fitness
Wallingford Family to Serve as Local March of Dimes Ambassadors
Wallingford Family to Serve as Local March of Dimes Ambassadors Family to speak at March for Babies in New Haven on Sunday, April 28
On Sunday, April 28, hundreds from the Greater New Haven area will gather for March for Babies at Lighthouse Point Park to benefit the March of Dimes. Leading the festivities will be Thomas and Nicole Brockett, along with their daughter, Alyssa, and son, Michael, who will serve as the 2013 New Haven Ambassador family. They will share their journey of Michael’s premature birth, and thank walkers for their commitment to the March of Dimes mission to give all babies a healthy start.
Due in May 2012, Nicole delivered Michael in February due to a placental
abruption. Born nearly 13 weeks too soon, he weighed just 2 lbs. 11 oz. and spent 77 days receiving specialized care in the neonatal intensive care
unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
“In a blink of an eye our world was turned upside down. We found ourselves in a
place we were totally unprepared for and knew very little about. We learned to
take each day one day at a time…sometimes hour by hour,” said Nicole. “We
celebrated every ounce of weight gain and learned more about SATS, and Bradys
than we ever thought we would need to know. We spent hours staring at tubes and monitors.”
Michael had emergency surgery on the third day of his life to fix a perforation
in his intestine, and required a second intestinal surgery before going home. He also required assistance to aid his breathing, and received surfactant, a therapy developed in part through March of Dimes funding, to help mature his tiny lungs.
Michael will turn one year old on February 18 and loves playing with his big
sister, Alyssa, as she entertains him. He also loves to practice walking
and talking.
“We feel blessed that we were able to bring our little boy home. March of Dimes has made a tremendous impact on the number of lives that have been saved due to technology, modern medicine, and research. We hope that we can continue
to raise awareness for this great cause that is so dear to our hearts,” said Nicole.
March for Babies participants can meet the family and hear their story in New
Haven on Sunday, April 28. Funds raised by March for Babies help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies. Registration for March for Babies begins at 9:00 a.m. with the walk kicking off at 10:00 a.m. To register visit marchforbabies.org or marchofdimes.com/ct. Donations may be made online to the Brockett’s team, Team Brockett.
New Haven March for Babies is sponsored by Clear Channel Radio, Connecticut
Parent Magazine, Lamar, and statewide sponsors NBC Connecticut and Comcast. March for Babies is sponsored nationally by the March of Dimes number one corporate supporter Kmart, Farmers Insurance Group, Macy’s, Cigna, Sanofi Pasteur, Famous Footwear, Actavis, Mission Pharmacal, and United Airlines.
In 2013, the March of Dimes celebrates its 75th anniversary and its ongoing work to help babies get a healthy start in life. Early research led to the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines that all babies still receive. Other breakthroughs include new treatments for premature infants and children with birth defects. About 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, and all have benefitted from March of Dimes lifesaving research and education.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby
health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the
March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth
defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and
information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
