March for Babies to be held in April at Municipal Park

The March of Dimes will hold its “March for Babies” April 19 at Municipal Park in Opelika.

The March will raise funds to support mothers and babies who are affected by premature birth and other disabilities.

“It’s not just about sick babies,” Linda Gross, senior community director for March of Dimes, said.

It is about prenatal care.

“It’s about every child that is born,” she said.

Every year, 500,000 babies are born prematurely. To put a face on the problem, Lee County March of Dimes’ “March for Babies” chooses a local family to represent the event.

This year it is the Carter family.

“I would have never thought in a million years I would have a premature baby,” said Jennifer Carter, mother of Seth Carter, 12, who was born prematurely and later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

“It can happen to any mother,” Gross said.

“People just think they are born small,” Carter said. “But their lungs aren’t even developed. They have to learn how to eat.”

During her pregnancy, Carter was diagnosed with toxemia, a disease that manifests during pregnancy.

Basically, toxemia causes the pregnancy to become toxic to the mother’s body. Carter said that premature birth affects the family not only in the child’s infancy, but as the child grows older, too.

“The more he wants to do and can’t,” she said.

She said Seth has trouble playing baseball with his friends and eventually will have to stop because of his disability, but he loves it anyway.

Last year the “March for Babies” in Lee County raised $74,000.

This year the event is shooting for $80,000. People can make teams and ask people to sponsor their teams in the walk.

Gross and Carter said the average face-to-face donation is $10, whereas the average Internet donation is $25.

The march starts at 9 a.m. Those wishing to participate should show up for registration at 8 a.m.

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