SUPPORT THE MISSION
Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide, and 1 million will die before their first birthday. Your gift helps the March of Dimes fund research, education, advocacy and programs that help more moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. If you are interested in learning more about how you can become involved in this event, please contact Scarlett Moore for more information -- and remember, it's all about the babies.
Dear Friends,
We are honored to serve as the Ambassador Family for the 2016 Signature Chefs Auction. We became involved with the March of Dimes after losing our first child, Mia Ryan. Despite a healthy pregnancy, Kelli unexpectedly went into preterm labor just one day shy of 24 weeks. Mia Ryan McCloskey was born on April 12, 2010, weighing 1 pound, 6 ounces. Our beautiful daughter lived and fought for four days in the NICU. We got to hold her tiny hand, change her diapers, and sing to her. In the end, she was just too tiny to survive. She passed away on April 16, 2010, at just four days old. Needless to say, we were devastated and heartbroken.
The March of Dimes provided a great sense of support for our family after losing Mia. The March of Dimes website and Share Your Story online community also provided us with a wealth of knowledge about the risks for preterm labor and the preventative treatments available for high-risk pregnancies.
We learned we were expecting again several months after losing Mia. We were excited but terrified. After a difficult pregnancy which included numerous treatments to prevent preterm labor, including eight long weeks of strict bedrest, we welcomed Max Kristopher McCloskey on March 5, 2011. Max was born at exactly 34 weeks, and weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces. We got to bring Max home after only ten days in the NICU.
We were blessed with our third child, Luke Henry on July 20, 2013. Fortunately, with a surgical procedure and several medications to prevent pre-term labor, Luke was almost full-term (just one day shy of 39 weeks) and weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 22.25 inches long.
Volunteering with the March of Dimes is such a special way for our family and friends to honor and remember Mia. She will always be a part of our lives and not a day goes by that we don't think about her. We are happy and honored to be a part of the March of Dimes and to raise awareness and support for this vital organization. We hope you will join us in supporting the March of Dimes by donating to Fund the Mission and by attending the Signature Chefs Auction on Thursday, October 13, 2016, at the Thad Cochran Center at USM.
Fund the Mission gifts are direct contributions to the March of Dimes research, programs, and educational outreach and are 100% tax deductible. The goal of Fund the Mission is to help prevent prematurity and birth defects through research. Your donation will have a direct impact in supporting our mission of stronger, healthier babies in Mississippi.
Sincerely,
Kelli and Gordon McCloskey