March for Babies...

Memory of what this little guy went through...

On December 17, 2008, Wes and I were preparing for the birth of our first child... washing baby clothes, finishing the nursery, and preparing for the big day. Then our life changed forever with the early arrival of our little man. Wesley York Harless was born 6 weeks early weighing 4 lbs 11 ounces. ((A PREEMIE...what did I do wrong? I exercised, ate all of the right foods, and did everything the doctor told me to!)) Our joy and excitement was overshadowed by fear and worry that he may not survive.

He was admitted to the NICU for observation the night of his birth. Our miracle baby was able to breathe on his own, eat without the assistance of a feeding tube, and do both of these simultaneously. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain his body temperature and was severely jaundice. He was put in an incubator with photo therapy. We spent our Christmas at the hospital visiting and thanking God that our baby was one of the healthier ones! Many of York's "incubator buddies" had been there for several months and were not making much progress... which broke my heart daily. You want so desperately to trade places with these innocent little lives. The reality is that babies are born each day needing the help of organizations like the March of Dimes. Thanks to modern medicine and a magnificent God, York overcame the odds. Our little man, was discharged on December 27, 2008 and has been getting stronger and healthier each day. York and I want to make it our mission to help parents that aren't quite so fortunate: the parents that are sitting in the NICU beside their child praying for one more day. One in SIX Alabama babies is born too soon and too small... with your support one day every baby will have a healthy fighting chance at life.

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. I know that each of you have been directly or indirectly affected by one of these. A donation of just $5.00 goes a long way... we greatly appreciate your support of any kind. If you would like to make a pledge with credit/debit card go to:

http://www.marchforbabies.org/Harlessev

or mail a check to me @ 1064 Dunnavant Place Birmingham, AL 35242

(checks payable to March of Dimes)



By the way... Wes and I apprecite all of the support that you all have given us since the birth of little York... We would have never made it without your love and most importantly your prayers.