A Clarion family has been named ambassadors of the Clarion County March of Dimes March for Babies.
David and Sarah Girardi and their daughter, Catherine, have been given the title of ambassador family for the April event. The couple had struggled for years trying to conceive a child before they received news in February 2015 that they were going to have a baby.
But then Sarah Girardi was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy disorder, at 34 weeks gestation. Due to numerous complications, she was hospitalized and had to deliver the baby five weeks early via cesarean section.
Catherine Girardi was not breathing when she was born and doctors placed her in the neonatal intensive care unit. The baby’s lungs were not yet fully developed, and the family was told to expect their baby to be in the intensive care unit for 10 to 12 days. The newborn beat the odds and was discharged after only five days.
The family and other event participants and organizers will be on hand when the Clarion County March of Dimes hosts the annual March for Babies kickoff party Feb. 21, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at the Park Inn by Radisson in Clarion.
The March for Babies will be held April 29 at the Clarion University of Pennsylvania recreation center. The March of Dimes’ goal is to raise $54,434.
“Participating in March for Babies is an important way to support the cause of healthy babies,” said Megan Laird, 2017 March for Babies development specialist. “Whether you walk to celebrate a baby in your life or to honor one who did not survive, together we can work to prevent premature birth and other infant health problems and look forward to a day when every baby is born healthy and strong.”
Money raised by March for Babies will help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, neonatal intensive care unit family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies. Currently, the March of Dimes is investing more than $89 million nationally and nearly $3 million in Pennsylvania in research and programs.
March for Babies is sponsored by several local businesses and organizations.
More information can be found by visiting http://www.marchforbabies.org or by calling Laird at 319-2423.