March of Dimes Names Local Ambassador Family.

Business Editors

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2004

The March of Dimes today announced the appointment of its 2004 Ambassador Family. The Speelmans (Kim, Kelly and their four-year-old twin sons Kiley and Kooper) will serve as representatives of the March of Dimes mission

The Speelmans (who live in Parker) were selected to serve as the 2004 Ambassador Family because of their experience with prematurity. Kiley and Kooper were born 14 weeks before their due date. Each weighed a little over two pounds. No medical reason could be found for their early arrival. The brothers spent their first months in a hospital neonatal unit, care that came to $1.2 million.

"My what-to-expect books didn't teach me to expect that my sons would be born prematurely and that their first months would be so terrifying," said Kim Speelman, Kiley and Kooper's mom. "I learned that prematurity is much more common and serious than you might think. We feel lucky, though: today, Kiley and Kooper are healthy and active. But a lot of preemies don't make it. We want to educate people about this important issue."

"The Speelmans have a story that too many Colorado families are telling, the story of prematurity," said Shelly Goodchild, state director of the March of Dimes Colorado Chapter. "Working with them, we hope to cast a spotlight on the prematurity crisis and the need to find answers and solutions."

Prematurity (when a baby is born three or more weeks before its due date) has risen 27 percent since 1981. In addition to being the number-one killer in the first month of life, it is also the leading cause of lifelong disability for babies who survive. The annual cost of healthcare for premature infants has been estimated at $13.6 billion annually. More than half the time, the causes of prematurity are not known. Almost half a million American babies are born prematurely each year, including more than 7,000 in Colorado.

Celebrating its 34th anniversary in 2004, WalkAmerica is the nation's oldest charitable walking event and the largest annual March of Dimes fundraiser. Money raised supports research and other programs to help the March of Dimes achieve its mission: improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. A key initiative is addressing prematurity. A new five-year public health campaign seeks to lessen the premature birth rate and raise awareness of prematurity as a serious infant-health issue.

The March of Dimes is a national nonprofit health organization founded in 1938. In Colorado, the March of Dimes currently funds $1.5 million in healthy-baby research and programs. For more information, visit the March of Dimes at marchofdimes.com (English) and nacersano.org (Spanish). For information about WalkAmerica, visit walkamerica.org.

For JPG images of the Speelman family, please e-mail bherlinger@marchofdimes.com