March for Babies 2010

On April 10, 2010, our family will once again be walking in the March of Dimes, March for Babies. That's four years and three days after our twins Ryan and Evan were born.

Ryan and Evan were born at 26 weeks and 2 days. 13 weeks and 5 days too early. Just 2 days into our third trimester.

When they were born we were told they would not make it. We were told to have a conversation and decide what kind of life saving measures they should take. We were told that it was only a matter of time. In spite of two doses of steroids to help their lung development, they were not responding to treatment. They were not behaving like typical 26 weekers, more like 24 weekers. There was little hope.

We sobbed. We cried. We held each other. We never had THAT conversation. Instead, we dried our tears, and went down to see our babies. We sat by our babies, we put our mouths into the portholes and begged our babies to fight. We told them how much we loved them, how we had fought to have them in our lives, and now it was their turn to fight to stay. Every day for weeks and weeks, all we could do was look at them and talk to them.

We learned to change their tiny, tiny diapers, because that allowed us to be able to touch them. For the first four, and five weeks the only physical contact we had with our children was while we were doing care on them. Changing diapers, taking temperatures, holding them down while procedures were being done to them. Blood draws, spinal taps, new IV placements, all these horrible things done to our children, allowed us a few minutes of contact with our fragile babies.

We spent the next five months living and breathing in the NICU. Everyday we walked in though those doors never knowing what we would find. I always held my breath until I saw that the space in front of my babies beds was clear. Clear of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists hovering. Clear of X-ray machines, or ultrasound machines. A clear view of those incubators meant all was okay for now. Not a clear view, I held my breath until I nearly passed out.

Still, almost 4 years later, the thoughts of those days, makes me pause and hold my breath for a few moments. We were *this* close to loosing our precious babies.

Thanks to the countless staff members of the NICU, many of whom are now like family to us, our boys are active, healthy, nearly four year old boys, with almost no signs of their terribly difficult start in life.

Our children are still here because of the Doctors, Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, Pharmacists at the NICU, and because of the March of Dimes. Medications and research funded by the March of Dimes allowed our Doctors to keep our babies alive. Let me say that again for emphasis...It is because of generous donations to the March of Dimes, because the March of Dimes' mission is to prevent infant mortality, birth defects, and PREMATURITY, Ryan and Evan are alive today.

Please join us in supporting the March of Dimes efforts to make sure no other family has to go through what we did, or worse. We will be walking in Encinitas this year (it's a shorter walk for our boys) on April 10, 2010 at 9:00AM.

Please sign up to walk with us at http://www.marchforbabies.org/OstremFamily2009 . Every registered walker means a donation for our local March of Dimes chapter. You do not need to fund raise in order to walk. (but if you can it is a double bonus!) Register yourselves (and your children), join us for a brief morning walk though one of the most beautiful cities in San Diego.

If you cannot walk with us, please consider making a donation at http://www.marchforbabies.org/OstremFamily2009.
If you are more comfortable sending your donation by check, please make them payable to The March of Dimes, March for Babies and I will make sure they are received at the walk.

Scott, Ryan, Evan and I thank you for your generous support.