Hundreds of families and local business leaders will join together on May 6, 2017 at The Chateau Bloomington Hotel & Conference Center, and Constitution Trail for the 2017 March for Babies, the nation’s oldest fundraising walk, which helps more babies survive and thrive.
On-site registration will start at 10:00am with the 5k-mile walk kicking off at 11:00am. Area residents can sign up today at marchforbabies.org/event/bloomingtonnormal to start a team with co-workers, families or friends; or make a donation to help more babies get a healthy start in life.
Premature birth is the leading cause of death among babies in the United States. It affects about 380,000 babies – that’s 1 in 10 -- born each year, including over 16,000 each year in Illinois. Funds raised by March for Babies supports Advocacy efforts for healthier moms and babies and March of Dimes programs that provide comfort and support for moms and babies as well as innovative research to find the unknown causes of premature birth and birth defects.
This year’s Bloomington-Normal Ambassador Family is 3-year-old Luka Corrales and his parents, Lauren and Gino Corrales.
In 2013, Lauren and Gino were pregnant with their first child and looking forward to starting their family, when Lauren developed preeclampsia, also known as HELLP Syndrome. Because of Lauren’s life-threatening diagnosis, Luka was born 7 weeks early weighing just 4lbs. 4 oz.
Luka spent 3 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where his medical team monitored his growth and development. He spent the majority of his hospital stay receiving nutrition through a nasal tube and slept in an isolette that could monitor his vitals and help regulate Luka’s body temperature.
Today, Luka is a happy and healthy 3-year-old who loves playing soccer and reading stories. Lauren and Gino continue to be grateful for the care Luka received from his doctors and nurses in the NICU. Through their support of the March of Dimes, the Corrales family remains dedicated to making sure other parents are able to know the joy of a healthy child.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education,
vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit persistats.org. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The 2017 March for Babies is sponsored nationally by Kmart, Famous Footwear, Macy’s, Cigna, HCA, and regional sponsor Publix Super Markets, Inc. In our community, March for Babies is sponsored by Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, CEFCU, OSF HealthCare, Obstetrics and Gynecology Care Associates, The Birth Center, GROWMARKFS, Country Financial, Illinois Farm Bureau, Commerce Bank, and WBNQ 101.5.
