Why Katie walks for Team Meggers
Most people have heard of the March of Dimes, but not many know what they actually do. In truth, I didn’t really know either, until three years ago when our daughter, Meg, was born six-weeks premature.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to create stronger, healthier babies. They do this in many different ways, including educating pregnant women about how to have healthy pregnancies that will go to full-term; funding research in prematurity, birth defects and infant health so that every single baby can have the chance to grow up strong; and advocating for policies within our government and hospitals that give parents and babies the best opportunities available.
On Saturday, we joined our family and friends to walk for Team Meggers in Seattle’s March for Babies. This was our third year walking for this cause that is near and dear to our hearts. After Meg was born early, she spent the first two-weeks of her life in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.
One-day old Meg in the NICU
It was here that we learned how much the March of Dimes does to support families with babies who are born premature (or with health complications). They paid for our parking fees at the hospital for the entire two weeks that Meg was there (which was not a small bill!), they left things for big sister Janie to play with while we visited Meg and constantly let us know that they were available to spend time with Meg when we couldn’t, were a shoulder to lean on or cry on and were happy to answer any questions that we had about our newborn preemie. Josh and I were so thankful to have the March of Dimes in our corner.
Now, Meg is a thriving, healthy, exuberant (and sometimes very stubborn!) three-and-a-half year old little girl. You would never know that she was born six-weeks early unless you were told. Every year, we raise money and walk in the March for Babies to help support other families who are experiencing the same thing we did and to fund research that will help everyone learn more about why some babies are born premature or with birth defects and how to prevent it.
This year was the first time in our three years of walking that it rained. And let me tell you, it POURED on Saturday morning! But despite the rain, families at the walk had smiles on their faces. The walk is usually filled with families who are walking with their preemie (like us with Meg) or in honor of a baby who they lost. It’s so powerful to be there with so many families who are all raising money and walking through the streets of Seattle for one cause.
Okay, down to business with the shoe portion of this post! The walk itself is over three-miles long—nothing crazy, but it’s more than a leisurely walk in the park, too! I chose a pair of PUMAs for the walk that I love—they fit closely to my foot and are breathable, so even when my feet got a little wet from the rain, I wasn’t sloshing around in soggy, heavy shoes. Check out the PUMA Faas 250 for a very similar shoe that is lightweight and comfortable.
Because it was raining so hard, Janie and Meg chose to wear rain boots to keep their feet dry during the walk. My favorite line of rain boots at OnlineShoes.com is by Bogs. I especially love their shorter style boots like the Bogs Hawthorne Rain Boot for spring time when your kids don’t necessarily need a full height boot for keeping warm, but still need something to keep their feet dry during those unexpected spring showers. Plus, Bogs wear like a tennis shoe, so your little ones aren’t weighted down by a heavy, clunky boot just to stay dry.
Be sure to visit OnlineShoes.com to outfit you for whatever you do to benefit the causes that are close to your own heart!
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