Hanah and Tyler Goodman were excited and anxious about the birth of their son that was due in May 2022. On April 18 Hanah was experiencing high blood pressure among other symptoms and was rushed to the hospital. It was confirmed that she had preeclampsia and it was decided at 35 weeks that she would be induced. It was not until the next morning that they then decided she would have to have an emergency C-Section because Hanah’s liver enzymes kept rising and her platelets continued to drop. It was discovered that Hanah had developed HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes and Low Platelet Count) Syndrome during delivery and was placed on a magnesium drip to help with her blood pressure. The procedure went well and the Goodmans were excited to see their little boy! Avett was born at 35 weeks 2 days weighing 4 pounds 12.05 ounces. However, during and after delivery Hanah’s blood pressure continued to fluctuate. She received Epinephrine and continued to receive Magnesium for the next 24 hours. Avett’s journey in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), began shortly following his birth. Avett was having trouble breathing because his lungs were underdeveloped. Hanah was able to go to the NICU to see Avett after 24 hours. Due to Avett’s lungs he was placed on a Neonatal Nasal CPAP, this was slowly lowered over two weeks until he was able to breathe on his own. During his stay in the NICU Avett was fed through a feeding tube until he progressed to being allowed to feed orally. Avett was also treated for jaundice during his time in the NICU. After 14 days in the NICU, Avett was finally able to go home. Premature babies require specialized care to help them thrive. March of Dimes funded the research on surfactant therapy and nitric oxide, two applications that help underdeveloped lungs of preterm babies to breathe easier. Avett was one of those babies! Since the development of these two therapies, two-thirds of the babies who would have died from respiratory distress syndrome now survive their early birth. Avett is now a happy thriving toddler. Hanah and Tyler are thankful for the community that March of Dimes has brought them. After hearing about March of Dimes through a flyer, they use March for Babies as a time to celebrate Avett’s strength throughout his NICU stay and the fact that both Avett and Hanah were fortunate enough to have received amazing medical care. March for Babies is a special time to for the Goodmans to remember and honor their two pregnancy losses. The March of Dimes community has helped Hanah and Tyler work through a lot of the shame, guilt, and trauma they felt surrounding their experience. They have also used material from the March of Dimes to help educate their family members and local community about the maternal and infant health crisis here in the United States. Avett is like the 1 in 10 babies in the U.S. that are born too soon. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth may face long-term health challenges. Hanah and Tyler know the significant role March of Dimes plays in raising awareness and funds to find solutions to end preventable preterm births and death. The Goodman family hope the community they found in March of Dimes, can provide comfort and promise to other families going through a similar journey.