Let Me Take A Moment to Say…

Let me take a moment to say that 15 MILLION babies are born prematurely each year around the world and 1 MILLION will die.  The hospital cost for a premature baby is easily $50 thousand more than a healthy baby.  My home state, South Carolina*, has a 11.1% preterm birth rate.  And lastly, -I- was a premature baby.

The March of Dimes supported my single mother during her struggle and scare of having her first born cocooned in an incubator for an extended amount of time.  They completely paid for all of our hospital bills and provided the Medical University of South Carolina, where I was born, with the equipment and training needed to keep our smallest warriors alive.  For years, my family has proudly walked to raise awareness, we have donated countless dollars between us, and I have had the privilege of being a Team Captain!  Although Premature Awareness Day is November 17 (two days before my birthday), there are always ways to help out the cause.  On April 20th, I will be at Carolina One Real Estate on Old Trolley Rd, donating a piece of my art for their silent auction!

Here is a sneak peek of my piece.  Six inch by 12 inch fused glass plate, made up of two layers of clear glass, adorned with a light green, light blue, and proud purple!  If this goes well, I will be happily designing more for the cause.  Who knows, maybe I can squeeze out another design before Thursday comes!

*If you’d like to see how your state ranks on the preterm grade, click here.