Sharing Your Story

One of the most effective ways to raise funds is to connect the March of Dimes’ mission to your family’s story.  Doing so helps your friends and families understand on an emotional level how the money they give can help other families.  Below are some questions to think about that might help you tell your story.  Once you have a short description of your family’s story and why the March of Dimes is important to you, you can share it on your marchforbabies.org page, in an e-mail, on your blog or as a note on your Facebook page.  Always include a link to your team’s fundraising page!

If you had a premature or sick baby:

What was the first part of your pregnancy like?  When did you find out that there was a problem? 

Did you have any warning that your child was going to be born early or sick, or did it happen suddenly?  What was that like for you?   

When your child(ren) was born, what did s/he look like?  How did you feel when you first saw him/her?  Were you able to hold him/her right away?

How long was your child in the NICU?  What challenges and/or complications did s/he face?  Did your child receive surfactant therapy?  (Surfactant was specifically developed by research funded by the March of Dimes.)

Overall, what part of having a child in the NICU was hardest for you as a parent?

If you are walking in memory of your child, what would it mean to you for your friends and family to remember your child with a donation to the March of Dimes?

If you are walking in honor of your child, how is your child doing today?  Does s/he still face challenges?  What is his/her personality like?

If you had a baby born healthy:

You and your child likely benefitted from the folic acid fortification of the grain supply (which has led to a 27% decrease in neural tube defects since 1996) and standardized newborn screening for 29 metabolic and genetic disorders.  The March of Dimes played a role in bringing about both of these advances, along with many other discoveries about maternal and fetal health and development.  Are there other aspects of your personal story that make you want to support the March of Dimes?

What was the experience of welcoming a healthy child into the world like?  Is that something you would like for all parents to experience?

    
I hope this helps!  As always, please let me know if there is anything I can do for you!
                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                        Family Teams Specialist