Only 6 days left...

until we do our annual March of Dimes walk. We will be walking on Saturday, May 2nd at 9:15 am. We are still needing supporters to reach our goal.
For more info please visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/jodimcox.

I will be doing my last speech for Public Speaking tomorrow & it's a persuasive speech. My topic is March of Dimes, of course. It has made me think alot this past week about what exactly I would say. I participated in March of Dimes even before I had children. Just as I participated in Race for the Cure before I had been personally touched by someone close to me having cancer. Such charities mean so much to me. But since having Jacob, I have become passionate about the March of Dimes. I believe people are not aware of all the things March of Dimes has done. So I'm gonna tell you some of them:
March of Dimes funded the research that lead to the polio vaccine;
MOD funded the research that developed the PKU test that all infants get - this vaccine allows some forms of mental retardation to be prevented;
March of Dimes funded the first successful bone marrow transplant to correct a birth defect;
MOD researchers discovered that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause birth defects;
March of Dimes funded the first utero treatment for a birth defect;
MOD created the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to save sick babies in hospitals;
March of Dimes funded the first prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell amemia;
MOD funded the first successful surgery to correct a urinary blockage in an unborn baby;
March of Dimes launched the Babies & You program to bring prenatal education to the workplace;
MOD funded the development of a newborn screening test for biotinidase deficiency, which can cause mental retardation & death unless treated promptly;
March of Dimes funded the research that lead to the use of surfactant to treat respiratory distress syndrome (RDS);
MOD funded the first surgery in utero to repair a diaphragmatic hernia in an unborn baby;
March of Dimes funded the research that proved delivering babies with spina bifida by c-section could save them from paralysis;
MOD funded the research that identified the genes responsible for Marfan syndrome, an inherited disorder of connective tissue & Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of mental retardation;
March of Dimes funded the research that located the gene connected with 70-80% of cases of acute leukemia in infants;
MOD funded the research for cloning the gene responsible for X-linked adrenoluekodystrophy, a rare & often fatal hereditary disease characterized by adrenal failure & paralysis;
March of Dimes launched a nationwide campaign urging women to take vitamin B to help prevent neural tube birth defects;
MOD funded research on nitric oxide that lead to a new treatment to save premature babies from persistent pulmonary hypertension, a deadly lung disorder.
These are just some of the things March of Dimes has had a hand in - I could go on & on. They have done so much. The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. MOD spends 77 cents of every dollar raised on their mission which supports research & programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies & babies begin healthy lives. So please think about supporting the March of Dimes so that they can continue to fund such amazing research. MOD spends 77 cents of every dollar raised