2017 Charleston Ambassador: Kennedy Feals
Meet Kennedy! She was born at 27 weeks 6 days when her mom developed pre-eclampsia. Kennedy weighed just 2 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 14 inches! A few days after making her early debut, she developed a very serious lung condition (PIE) that is seen in about 25% of preemies. She received multiple doses of surfactant (a therapy the March of Dimes helped develop) and spent close to 4 weeks on a high-frequency ventilator – she was getting 420 breaths per minute through the ventilator! Around 4 weeks, her lung disease resolved, she was off of the ventilator, and (finally) able to be held for the first time, which she loved! She spent another 4 weeks on another oxygen treatment called CPAP, and around her 2 month birthday she was off of all oxygen and breathing room air on her own. Kennedy spent another month after that in the hospital (bringing her stay to 12 full weeks and 1 day) while her lung continued to improve and while she learned other skills, like how to regulate her body temperature and how to eat by mouth. She went home on her due date, and weighed 6.5 pounds! Thanks to research and development through the March of Dimes and amazing care in the NICU, Kennedy is now a healthy, happy baby!
Walk to help more babies be born healthy! Join us Saturday, April 29th at Cannon Park in Downtown Charleston.
