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for parents who just want to bring their baby home. susie adds, ?we offer
nicu
support programs for our parents where a representative from the
march
of dimes will come into the
nicu
and meet with the parents one on one. ?ey try to make it an easier path by explaining to them what?s going on, what they will experience in the
nicu
, and what resources they have available to them. surfactant ?erapy is also a
march
of dimes discovery, and it helps
babies
with their breathing because many premature
babies
have underdeveloped lungs.? ?e
nicu
support program offers a care package that includes baby keepsake booklets, a guide for parenting in the
nicu
, and parenting materials for when the
babies
go home. susan cedotal, local mother of triplets, owes her transition into being a mother of multiples to the
march
of dimes. ?e support they gave her in the hospital eased her anxious mind. ?when i was pregnant with triplets, i went into labor at 32 weeks. my triplets weighed 2.15, 3.14, and 4.4 lbs. i buy roast now that weighs more than my
babies
did. right when they were born, they were whisked away from me and taken to the
nicu
. i was so overwhelmed,? susan shares. she was in shock that she had gone into labor so early and that her
babies
were swooped from her presence. she continues, ?when i was in the
nicu
visiting the
babies
, the
march
of dimes representatives came in several times. ?ey gave me a booklet with all the
nicu
abbreviations, terms, and definitions that helped me so much. ?ey also gave me preemie journals to write down and keep track of everything happening.? susie understands the cedotals? and every other preemie parent?s struggle, ?it?s a difficult and scary process when you are dealing with something that you?re not familiar with. you are looking at your little one with all these tubes and machines, and you?re thinking the worst. so when you have somebody take you by the hand and assure you that the baby is taken care of until you can take that baby home, it means everything.? not only was susan deeply impacted by the physical presence and the materials of the
march
of dimes, but she also feels indebted to the organization for their endless work in researching prematurity. ?i was so thankful for all the research that had been done because if i had given birth to triplets prematurely a few decades ago, what would have been their odds of survival?? she wonders. ?e
march
of dimes has created a net of support for mothers, their
babies
, and their families. ?eir work is not only restricted to labs, but it also expands into direct contact. susie puts it best, ?all in all our focus is the research, so we can figure out the whys and get down to the bottom of it to fix it instead of bandage it. but we also want to make sure that while the
babies
and parents are in the hospital, they get attention, and they feel comfortable with dealing with their little one. it?s a tough process, and we want to make sure they are equipped.? ? the
march
of dimes walk for
babies
is
march
25 ? the walk raises funds for research and programming. ? lsu old front nine at 9:15 a.m. ? will feature a band and a fun zone sponsored by brec for the kids. ? theme is ?hope, remember, and celebrate.?
march
2017 | brparents.com 47
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