Born Just Two and-a-Half Pounds, Local Boy is Thriving

KETTERING, OH (WDTN) - Every week in Ohio alone, nearly 400 babies are born too early. Of those, 23 die before their first birthday. Here's what you need to know to help the organization that's trying to figure out why and helping the preemies survive.

Jack McKelvey is a typical ten year-old boy who loves video games and sports. But typical is not how you'd describe Jack's birth. His mother Carla explains why. "We hit a situation where I had an abruption and was rushed to the hospital and he was born emergency c-section." Born at 27 weeks, Jack weighed just two and half pounds. "Jack wasn't breathing on his own, so he was on oxygen right away. Then he had a perforated bowel situation so he had an operation for that, then he had a blood infection, so he had just a really rocky start."

At the time, Carla and Tim didn't realize years of research by the March of Dimes were helping keep their son alive. Now it's all very clear. "It's when you reflect now we think, we are so blessed and fortunate these organizations exist. The doctors and the nurses and the work the March of Dimes does we're forever grateful to have this little guy in our lives." said Carla.

Of course Jack doesn't remember the struggle he went through his first year of life. But the pictures and the stories tell it all. "The first year of his life was very abnormal. Then after that, we've been fortunate. It's been just like the other kids." says his father Tim.

You can join me, the McKelvey's and hundreds of others support the March of Dimes by taking part in its upcoming March for Babies. The three mile walk is Saturday April 24th at Carillon Park.
Registration begins at eight, the walk at nine. There will be all kinds of events for adults and kids. You can find a link to the March of Dimes website under web links on this page.