Tag Archive: March of Dimes


Life in the NICU taught me…

Filed under: Reflexion by iride4shiloh — Leave a comment
May 31, 2012

Strength is not defined by physical prowess, mental focus, or a 10-star college education.  Strength, by all accounts, is a combination of patience and stubbornness.  This perfect intersection is called perseverance and every child born early becomes a student and eventually a lecturer.  Life in the NICU is a place full of distractions…from the incubators, to the constant beeps, quietness in the mix of chaos and for the most part each day ends with life and/or death.

 The babies are so small and the hopes so grand I’m surprised that there isn’t a higher level of insanity among the adults.  Life in the NICU also taught me a new lesson about being ready, how to prepare, and how to use a few items for a multitude of needs.  After a few weeks, anything I needed, I carried in my backpack and even today I load my backpack as if I won’t be coming home for a few days…strange yes, but, the fact of the matter is that “you never know”.  It’s the same as having non-perishable goods in the house in the event of a loss of electricity, flood, or need to get the hell out (a jump bag)!

 Back to perseverance.  I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a situation in which each and every breath was important.  Each one becoming more important than the next.  Have you ever talked to someone, but watched their chest or throat instead of their eyes or lips.  Weird, I know…but this is life in the NICU.  The nurses always told us that babies are far more resilient than what we give them credit for.  But this does not take away your wish to take away his or her pain.  I constantly prayed to take Shiloh’s hell…I didn’t feel it was fair for someone so young, so small, to go through so much.  My thoughts are no different today than in 2007, and although I do understand that if Shiloh was here and I was gone, there would still be pain, HOWEVER, I’ve had a very good run as a citizen of the earth, but the NICU taught me that death has no conscious and EVERY life will expire.  Life in the NICU taught me to be prepared but not be scared.    

 I’m uncertain if brave is the correct word to use for the NICU babies, perhaps a combination of motivational phrases would be more appropriate.  What I do know is that those babies are special and the NICU reiterated to me that every person is “special” because of the uniqueness of his or her spirit, and your spirit is your greatest attribute.  

 I’m happy the NICU is not a place all babies will visit, and I’m hopeful that those parents will take the time to understand and appreciate how each and every breath is precious.

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March for Babies

Filed under: Reflexion by iride4shiloh — Leave a comment
April 10, 2012

I had a great time with many great cyclists at the Bicycle Café last night and as I drove home, I started thinking about this years March for Babies (which is a major event for March of Dimes).  I don’t know how many times I’ve mentioned that this year would mark Shiloh turning 5, but last night my thoughts centered on my very first March for Babies.  It was a very exciting time.  Shiloh was doing well…eating more and pooping more, so things were good.  The staff at the hospital went out of their way to promote March for Babies, but they did it in a fun and inclusive type of way.

 I can imagine that several of the nurses had gone through years of promoting and participating in the event.  I always think about the parents and how tough it is on them as they spend day and night in the NICU.  But the nurses who show up, day after day…they are special.  I know they love babies or they wouldn’t be there, but I know the experiences weigh on them, but they keep coming back.  I’ve come to the conclusion, right or wrong…that March of Babies is a time to celebrate the survivors.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s the central reason I don’t want to participate this year.

 I don’t know why I’m fixated with Shiloh turning 5.  Maybe it’s because it’s the age he’d be going off to school or it could be he’d be playing flag football.  I’d undoubtedly be ruining his hairline because I’d be a horrible barber.  Whatever “it” is…”it” is deeply embedded in my thinking.  I was amped that first year walking around White Rock.  I couldn’t wait to get back to the hospital to Shi, but I really couldn’t wait until the following year to push my baby boy as we celebrated life away from the NICU.  Since then, I’ve participated in the walk, but try to stay as quiet and reflective as possible.

 There’s a lot of joy, deservedly so, and I definitely don’t want to be a kill joy.  I guess it’s been my way of making sure I confront the pain.  I am truly happy for the families who were able to bring their babies home….I only wish they could understand that as they live with joy, some live with pain.  I’m not complaining and I’ll be at March for Babies this year, it’s important to stand tall and move forward because your strength may be the example for someone who is on that edge.

 I can relate to the NICU nurses from the standpoint you gotta keep showing up.  You gotta believe it’s important, and strangely enough not doing it leaves a void that could never be replaced.  If you’re not doing anything on April 21, 2012, think about the babies who didn’t make it out of the NICU!  

 Fort Worth Walk
31 miles away
April 21, 2012

Farrington Field: 1501 North University Dr. Ft. Worth, TX  76107 

Walk Distance: 3.5miles
Registration Time: 8:30 AM
Start Time: 9:00 AM
Chapter: Texas
Phone:  (817) 451-9174

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It’s better to travel than to arrive

Filed under: Uncategorized by iride4shiloh — Leave a comment
April 10, 2012

I’ve been trying to figure out how to share my memories of Shiloh without dragging the energy down lower than a snails crawl.  On the one hand, we shared some incredible moments, but the flipside of each, is a painful moment.

Of course no one wants to read a sad story, but the reality of life is very real.   It’s definitely a balancing act, and some have asked “why care”.  But I think that’s the beauty of spending time with Shi, he makes you want to be better, do more, give more.  And I think you learn from hardship, you grow from your pain.

I remember people telling me that Shi passing was for “the greater good”.  I’m not convinced theres any possible benefit to loosing a child.  Yes, death is a part of life, but I’m not buying that there’s some grand plan!  Now, I will say pain will teach you something about yourself, but the lesson only has meaning based on the value assigned to it.  I’m convinced that every experience has a teachable moment and the value is based on individual interpretation.  Death is inevitable, but it seems as thougb we live as if it’s not.

Loosing Shiloh was a tragic experience, but it taught me a very simple lesson.  It is better to travel than to arrive!  So for me, remembering the pain is as important as remembering the smiles.

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Roll Out

Filed under: iRide News by iride4shiloh — 1 Comment
April 2, 2012

MOD walk shi garden pic The iRide4Shiloh campaign is my BIG idea for 2012 to raise donations for March of Dimes and raise awareness to the Infant Mortality Rate.  My son, Shiloh Stone Maxwell Adams was born January 10, 2007 (16 weeks before his scheduled due date).  We celebrated Shiloh turning 5 this year and thought this campaign would be an amazing way to honor his memory and celebrate his life. 

 Many of you may be familiar with March of Dimes and it’s role in fighting pre-term births.  You may also know about the 1 in 8 pre-term birth statistic, and you’ve probably heard that for more than 70 years, the March of Dimes has saved millions of babies and children from death and disability through it’s lifesaving research and innovative programs.  However, what at times is lost in the headlines or pushed to the back page of the news is that not every child born prematurely will survive.  In fact, nearly 7 of 1,000 births end in death, with the number increasing almost twofold for minorities.  Studies indicate premature birth is a factor in more than two-thirds of infant deaths and the U.S. preterm birth rate has gone up since 2000.

 When I read the medical and social studies, the common theme seems to center on women and health.  Obesity among women continues to rise and we’ve all read about chronic diseases and the link to obesity.  A baby is at risk of being born early when the mother suffers from high blood pressure, stress, diabetes, etc.  Research and technology is great when it comes to the fight against pre-term birth, but so much of it is designed post birth in an effort to keep your child alive.  Unfortunately, for my son, it was not enough. 

 Losing weight goes a long way to helping not only you, but the unborn child.  This brings me back to March of Dimes and its Prematurity Campaign.  The money that you donate will help educate women about risk-reduction strategies and advocate to expand access to health care coverage to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes.  The information that you share will help bring someone to realize that choosing a healthier and more active lifestyle could not only save a life, but the life of a child.  Oh, don’t forget to mention how getting in shape makes it easier to run after that toddler or take them to the park.    

This campaign is for everyone and of course, everyone who takes part, as well as completing a personal challenge ride/walk/run pledge, will be helping us raise awareness about health and fitness can reduce the Infant Mortality Rate and helping us to raise funds to fight pre-term births.  

The sunrise is making it’s way through the night, the wind is non-existent, it’s a cool 67 degrees, and a wide-open country road.  Let’s ROLL OUT!!!!!

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Infant Mortality and Women’s Health

Filed under: Health & Fitness by iride4shiloh — Leave a comment
April 2, 2012

Chronic diseases in the mother, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, have been associated with poor birth outcomes. There is growing evidence that periodontal disease, which affects many women of childbearing age, can increase the odds of preterm delivery.  The time before conception is the optimal point at which these conditions can be identified and managed in order to improve a woman’s chances of giving birth to a healthy child. Such measures might also lessen black/white discrepancies in infant mortality, since African American women are more prone to suffer from some conditions that affect birth outcomes, such as high blood pressure (Johnson et al., 2008).

It’s important to increase awareness among prospective parents that good decision-making begins before their babies are born.  Drugs, and some medicines can compromise their babies’ well-being. They also need to know about positive behaviors that can promote their babies’ health, including good nutrition. For example, some birth defects involving the brain and central nervous system, including anencephaly and spina bifida, may be prevented when the mother takes a vitamin that includes folic acid prior to and early in her pregnancy (March of Dimes, 2008).

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in rates of preterm birth and infant mortality are among the most widely recognized but least understood aspects of infant and maternal health. In particular, the persistent black/white differential requires intensive study. At any age, and at any income, education or socioeconomic level, an African American mother is more than twice as likely to lose her infant as a white woman. Compared with white babies, black infants are at greater risk for three leading causes of infant mortality: congenital malformations, low birthweight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (Mathews & MacDorman, 2008).

The time is now!!!!!!!

An intubated female premature infant born prem...

An intubated female premature infant born prematurely 26 weeks 6 days gestation, 990 grams. Photo taken at approximately 24 hours after birth. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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