Page 4 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - March 23, 2022

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Dr. Angela Pratt with mother Kristen Kawata and son Luke, who had just been cleared to leave the neonatal intensive care unit at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.
After Richard and Shannon Edie’s fra- ternal twins, Dylan and Savannah, were born two months early by emer- gency C-section, there was a lot of nervous energy in the air. The couple had lost their twin girls a year prior, so the entire journey was “a rough road to our babies,” accord- ing to Shannon.
ful guidance from March of Dimes, which addressed questions and concerns while providing resources for parents with children in the NICU. Despite the har- rowing circumstances, the Edies couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
staff at Kapiʻolani and March of Dimes, we believe were an integral part of our story, which is still being written,” Shannon adds.
is one of many happening in Hawaiʻi and around the world. Globally, 15 million babies are born prematurely, and March of Dimes is there to fund research, education, advocacy and community programs to help expecting moms have full-term, healthy pregnancies. And if anyone can put an end to premature births, it’s March of Dimes, which had to shift its mis- sion away from curing polio after helping to eradicate the disease. Research, funded in
part by grants from the then- March of Dimes (formerly known as National Founda- tion for Infantile Paralysis), enabled the creation of an ef- fective vaccine in 1955. By 1979, the same year March of Dimes donned its new mon- iker, the U.S. was polio-free. This enabled March of Dimes to focus on its current mission of improving birth outcomes.
“I feel like I blocked out a lot of that time in our lives; it was really stressful for us, certainly the pregnancy,” she says.
“Dr. (Angela) Pratt and the
“They have done amazing,” shares Shannon. “You would never know they were prema- ture, and only 2 and 3 pounds when they were born.”
With a new team in place locally — led by executive director for the Hawaiʻi mar-
March of Dimes celebrates eight decades of supporting moms and their babies with a special brunch this month.
Dylan and Savannah spent six weeks at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children’s neonatal in- tensive care unit, and during their stay, the expert hands in the department helped put the twins on a path to success. The time spent was also beneficial for Richard and Shannon, who appreci- ated the hands-on assistance from staff (even when it came to teaching basic par- enting skills like how to do a swaddle) as well as the help-
“When I think about our time in the NICU, I have only positive memories, and part of that was the support the staff and March of Dimes provided,” she says.
Now almost 4 years old, Dylan and Savannah are hap- py, healthy and enjoying life with their parents, family and friends.
The story of the Edies
SEE PAGE 5