Rendine Family of Franklin Lakes Named March of Dimes Bergen County Ambassadors

The New Jersey Chapter of the March of Dimes is proud to announce the Rendine family of Franklin Lakes as the 2015 Bergen County March for Babies Ambassadors.

On Sunday, April 26th, hundreds from Bergen County will gather for March for Babies in Darlington Park, Mahwah to benefit the March of Dimes. Leading the festivities will be the event’s Ambassadors – Stephanie and Brian Rendine, and their sons Brady and Colton. They will share the story of Colton’s premature birth, his incredible story of survival, and thank walkers for their commitment to the March of Dimes mission to give all babies a healthy start.

When Stephanie and Brian found out they were pregnant with their second child, they were beyond thrilled. However, at 23 weeks pregnant, Stephanie began experiencing some bleeding. She tested positive for pre-term labor and had already started dilating. She was immediately admitted to the hospital and was hooked up to numerous monitors. She was having contractions so she was given IV fluids and medicines to stop labor plus a steroid shot to help develop the baby’s lungs.

After a week in the hospital, she was discharged to continue bed rest at home. However, at 25 weeks pregnant she began bleeding and was readmitted. The doctors and nurses stopped the labor and Stephanie stayed in the hospital on bed rest, but at 26 weeks she began experiencing contractions. Stephanie had an emergency C-section and Colton George was born weighing just 1 lb. 14 oz.

Colton spent the next 11 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where he was intubated for weeks and experienced blood transfusions, sepsis, spinal taps, hernia surgery, countless IVs, X-rays and NG tubes. But Colton was a fighter, and after 77 days of the NICU, he was discharged from the hospital. He came home on oxygen support and an apnea monitor, but has since been weaned off these items. Colton is now a thriving and happy toddler.

“We are so honored to be chosen as the Ambassador Family for the Bergen County March for Babies walk. We are happy to be a part of the cause to help mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. Hopefully by sharing our story, we can help others that may be in similar situations,” said Stephanie.

Participants can meet the Rendines at Darlington Park in Mahwah on Sunday, April 26. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. with the walk kicking off at 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit marchforbabies.org.

The 2015 March for Babies is sponsored nationally by the March of Dimes number one corporate supporter Kmart, and top sponsors Famous Footwear, Macy’s, Cigna, United Airlines and Mission Pharmacal and locally by PSEG, UnitedHealthcare, Virtua, Comcast NBCUniversal, New Jersey Family, New Jersey Monthly, The Alternative Press and Visions Federal Credit Union.