Ellie and her parents understand firsthand the enormous emotional toll premature birth takes on a family. Weighing only 4 pounds at birth, no one knew if Ellie would survive. She did, and lives a very healthy life with little reminder of being born 4 weeks early.

As a 2014 Kosciusko-Whitley County March for Babies Family Team, the Kuespert’s are honoring Ellie’s life and helping the March of Dimes raise money to fight premature birth and its consequences. Ellie and her family are walking at the event and are asking everyone who has a similar experience in the Kosciusko/Whitley County area to form a Family Team for March for Babies and support March of Dimes research and programs to save babies from premature birth, the leading cause of newborn death in America.

“On behalf of Ellie, we want to invite everyone in the area to join us for March for Babies and form a Family Team,” says Amber Kuespert. “Together we can learn about our struggles and share how each of us confronted the tragedy and the problems of premature birth and help save other families from being victims.  Join us for March for Babies on May 4, and walk for someone you love. Walk and raise money to save babies. We’re walking for Ellie, because when we walk for one, we are walking to give hope to all babies.”

To sign up as a Family Team, call your local office of the March of Dimes at 260-482-4201 or register your Family Team online at www.marchforbabies.org.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.