Kara Gilardi

More than twenty years ago, March of Dimes launched a direct service initiative called NICU Family Support and I knew I found my home helping families to navigate the unexpected journey of a NICU stay. This work is deeply personal to me and every family we serve is a reminder that any burden you can lessen for any measure of time is time well spent.  Every day, our team walks into 70+ NICUs around the country to provide education and support to more than 50,000 familes every year during a time the parent often considers their worst days and certainly not the start of their child's life that they had imagined. This year we will launch an incredible new partnership to bring mental health care and resources directly to our parents to help them through the intense and overwhelming experience of a NICU stay. Our NICU families are warriors for their children, the NICU staff are brilliant and caring and the March of Dimes is right there every step of the way! We appreciate the years of support and generosity from so many to continue this important work. This only is possible because of you. Sincere thanks from Team Gilardi!  Kara, Tom, Katharine & Jack