Won’t You Be Mine?

I’m not one to beg for money or sponsorship for any ol’ cause under the sun.  I’ve participated about 10 walks/races over the past 2 years and have never gone above and beyond the nominal entrance fee to make a greater impact.  Please don’t stop reading now because you think all I’ll be asking for is money…there’s a really good reason I’m asking so I hope that you bear with me over the next few minutes and hopefully by the end, you’ll understand why (and be inspired to give).

The majority of my close friends are from college.  I have 2 (3 if you count a relative) from high school that I keep in touch with but college is definitely where I built my closest relationships.  Upon graduation from Mizzou, half of the folks moved to STL and the other half moved to KC, including JPug and me.  Because our already tight-knit group was cut in half…those of us in KC became even closer.  Through the years, our friendships remained strong and most of us married our college sweethearts.  After years of marriage, the next step for most is starting a family.  Of our group, the first couple to conceive was Jimmy & Kelly.

In early 2011, the couple was filled with joy as they found out they were expecting their first baby.  Between January and the anticipated September due-date, something went wrong.  Full-term for a single-baby pregnancy is 37 weeks…although the mother’s due date is calculated to 40 weeks.  Kelly’s water broke at 26 weeks…14 weeks before she was due.  She was hospitalized and put on strict bed rest as she received medication to help their baby’s organs develop to give him the best chance at a normal life.  At 28 weeks, Kelly developed an infection in her amniotic fluid (common when the mother’s water breaks early) which caused her to go into Labor.  Their little boy, Levi, was delivered on Father’s Day, June 19^th.

Upon birth, Levi was immediately taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where he would spend the next weeks (until his original due date and beyond) getting strong and healthy.  The doctors cautioned Jimmy & Kelly that the road ahead would be a difficult one…NICU time is crucial for a premature baby as their bodies continue to develop and the staff tries to prevent further complications.  On Levi’s second day in the NICU, complications began to overtake his little body; he contracted a blood infection (among other things) and couldn’t fight anymore.

I’m walking on May 6^th in Kansas City’s March for Babies to support our dear friends and remember their sweet little boy.  The money we raise in his memory will help improve the lives of other babies born prematurely and will hopefully prevent similar losses from happening to other families.

I ask that you help support Jimmy and Kelly’s team, Angels for Levi if you can.  Any amount…$1, $10, $25…is much appreciated and will make a difference.  The money TeamPug raises for the cause will help support numerous essential functions for babies…including:

Brain:  We’re fighting premature birth — baby’s brain needs 9 months to fully develop.
Eyes: We’re developing treatments to cure vision defects.
Smile: We’ve identified a gene responsible for oral cleft and are working on preventions.
Heart: New treatments mean better survival rates for the tiniest heart patients.
Spine: Folic acid education means fewer babies are born with neural tube defects.
Lungs: Surfactant and nitric oxide therapies save the lives of many premature babies.

Team Pug’s goal for the walk is $250…please help us reach this goal!  You can donate online by clicking “Donate Now” on the right side of my walker page.  TeamPug and all the Angels for Levi walkers thank you for your time and support!