1. March of Dimes Presented by Kati Richards Prepared for Dr. Mark Hearn
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Presented by
Kati Richards
Prepared for
Dr. Mark Hearn
CBA Business Communications
MWF 8:45-9:45
Fall 2004
Title Page:
Introduction:
Having children was the farthest thing from Kim Presson’s mind, when she began volunteering for the March of Dimes.
Later in life she became pregnant, and had no idea that the money she helped raise would one day save the life of her child.
Hello everyone.
My name is Kati Richards and I am here to talk to you about the March of Dimes Organization. I have been a volunteer for the March of Dimes for the past 3 years and am very glad to be here with you today.
I hope to give you a better understanding of what this organization is about and why your help is needed.

2. March of Dimes Overview
What is March of Dimes
History of Success
Prematurity Campaign
How You Can Help
MOD Today
I will start by giving you a brief intro about the March of Dimes
Then I will speak about the March of Dime’s History of Success
Next, I will inform you about the Prematurity Campaign and give you a few facts on birth rates in the U.S. and Alabama.
Then I will explain ways that you can help the March of Dimes
Next, I will discuss what the March of Dimes is doing today
And I will then end with a summary of the Presentation
I will now begin by introducing you to the March of Dimes organization.
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

3. What is March of Dimes U.S. Based Health Charity Why it’s Important
Focusing on premature births
Fighting for health of babies
Why it’s Important
1 in 8 US babies premature
Leading cause of newborn deaths
What is the March of Dimes?
-An organization that is involved in helping reduce premature births.
-MOD is made up of researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers, and advocates, who all work together in the fight to save babies.
Why is there such a great need for the MOD?
-B/c everyday 1 in 8 babies is born premature in the U.S.
-And b/c it can happen to any woman and it is the leading cause of newborn deaths and a major cause of many lifelong disabilities.
This organization has succeeded from the very beginning. Starting with the Polio campaign-
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

4. March of Dimes History of Success
Uniting to Beat Polio
Uniting to Save Babies
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

5. March of Dimes Uniting to Beat Polio
Founder
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Established in 1938
Why It Started
Fund polio research
Salk vaccine founded
No cases since 1991
On August 11th of 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt awoke to find that his legs were paralyzed. He was later diagnosed with polio.
In 1938, President Roosevelt established the MoD to help raise money to save America’s youth from polio.
Within 17 years the Salk vaccine was founded and there has not been a case of the disease in the Western Hemisphere since 1991.
Now that polio was beaten the March of Dimes continued their fight but with a new campaign.
Franklin D Roosevelt
Label Pictures when appropriate
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004 5

6. March of Dimes Uniting to Save Babies
Reducing Prematurity
Fighting Birth Defects
Reducing Infant Mortality Rates
Educating
After defeating Polio, the March of Dimes them turned its attention to an even greater challenge—
Reducing prematurity
Fighting birth defects
Reducing infant mortality rates
And educating the world about prematurity and ways to reduce it.
The March of Dimes prematurity campaign has been a big help in spreading the news about prematurity.
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

7. March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign
Campaign Goals
What is Prematurity?
Narrowing Gap
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Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

8. March of Dimes Campaign Goals
Raise Prematurity Awareness
In 2002 only 35% considered prematurity very serious problem
MOD wants to raise % to 60% by 2007
Reduce Prematurity Rate
Goal of reducing premature births by 15%
Accomplish by education and funding research
The March of Dimes has two main goals:
#1: To raise awareness about prematurity. In 2002 only 35% considered prematurity as a very serious problem. March of Dimes wants to raise this percentage to 60% by 2007.
The 2nd goal is to reduce the rate of premature births by 15%. They hope to accomplish this by educating people and by funding researchers.
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

9. March of Dimes What is Prematurity?
National Health Crisis – counts for 12% of all live births in US
Serious – leading killer in new borns & may cause life long problems
Costly - hospital bills easily over $75,000
Mysterious – no clear causes have been established
Why is it considered a National health crisis
b/c it counts for 12% of all live births in the U.S.
Why serious?
It’s the leading killer in a babies first month of life and may cause life long probs.
Why costly?
Very devastating, hospital bills=$75,000
Why a mystery?
No one knows the answers to have of all births. There are a few factors such as multiple births that they know can cause prematurity. And they are looking for the answers today
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

10. March of Dimes Helping Narrow Gap
Gap Between
Identifying risk factors
How they actually cause premature birth
How To Narrow Gap
Funding researchers
Participating as volunteer
The more knowledge that researchers gain the smaller the gap becomes. Everyday the gap is diminishing with the more knowledge gained b/c of the March of Dimes help.
They raise money to fund researchers
We can see the areas where the most help is needed by looking at the facts.
We will now look at the birth rates in the U.S. and in Alabama.
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

11. Birth Facts US & Alabama
United States
77,341 babies born
6,040 with low birth weight
92,246 preterm
Alabama
1,134 babies born
112 with low birth weights
178 preterm
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

12. Preterm Birth Rates in U.S.
This is a map of the % of live premature births in the U.S. The Southeast has the highest amount of premature births. Alabama is included in this.
Percent of Live Births
Over 12.7 % %
Under 11.3%
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

13. Preterm Births in Alabama
Percent of Live Births
Over 16.3 % %
Under 14.2%
This map shows the % of live premature births in Alabama. As you can see the center and southern Alabama or around what is known as the black belt area. Alabama is one of the states that have a higher % of premature births. The more involved Alabama gets the better the chance for this rate to go down.
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Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

14. Premature Births in Alabama 1992-2002
In 2002, there were 9,278 preterm births in Alabama this represents 15.7% of all live births in the U.S..
Between 1992 and 2002 premature births increased 19%. The goal is to decrease this rate by 2007.
If this goal is going to get accomplished the March of Dimes will need all the help they can get. Next are ways that you can help.
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

15. How You Can Help March of Dimes
Donate
Participate
Volunteer
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Ways to donate:
-Online, by mail, by phone
-By banding together- an online way to sponsor a child
-donate vehicles, cell phones, etc.
- Donate your time– by volunteering
Become a volunteer:
-Volunteer at the national office
-At a chapter office; such as the office I volunteer for in Huntsville called the Mountain Lakes Division
Ways to participate:
#1 way to participate is with WalkAmerica!
Put together a coin bank drive- as shown in the pictures on this slide
You can also look for special annual events that will be posted
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

16. March of Dimes Funded Research
Fight Goes On
Perinatal Epidemiology Research Initiative
Microbiology, developmental biology, genetics studies
What Future Holds
Folic acid research
Neural tube defects
Just as the March of Dimes met the challenge of polio with determination, they are determined to win the fight against prematurity.
For unknown reasons, more than 470,000 babies are born premature in the U.S. every year.
In the future they hope to accomplish the goals they have set and just as they beat polio they hope to defeat prematurity. No one is working harder than the March of Dimes to fight prematurity and they won’t stop until every baby is born healthy.
Moving on…. I have introduced……
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004

17. March of Dimes Summary What is March of Dimes History of Success
Prematurity Campaign
How You Can Help
MOD Funded Research
Making It Personal
I have introduced you to the March of Dimes Organization by discussing their history of success, by explaining their prematurity campaign, by showing you the many different ways that you can help, and by telling you where the MOD stands today.
This organization has a 65- year history for saving America’s children and the fight to keep them safe will keep going on. As long as there is a need the March of Dimes will be there to help.
As I close this presentation, I would like to go back to the story of the Kim Presson that I spoke to you about. Kim Presson is a prime example that a premature birth can happen to anyone… she was healthy and had never drank, smoked or taken drugs. But in October of 1996, her baby was born 4 months too soon. She weighed only 1 pound and 1 ounce and was 111/2 inches long. This is a bag of rice that is a duplicate of how much the baby weighed and it’s length. The family was told not to name her b/c she wouldn’t live. But with the funding for certain kind of lung therapy that Kim helped raise, her baby, Samantha lived.
Can you imagine the amount of other lives that this organization has helped save. What better reason to go and volunteer for the March of Dimes today, b/c you never know…. It could be your child who needs help one day.
Samantha Presson
Kati Richards CBA Bus Com MWF 8:45 Fall 2004