Cooper Smith came into the world screaming.
“He screamed like no baby I’d ever heard before,” said mom Nikki Smith of Baldwinsville.
It might not sound like much — many babies are born testing out their little lungs — but for Cooper, it was a big deal. After all, Nikki and husband Eric weren’t sure if Cooper would even survive long enough to be born.
“The doctor turned to me — he had this really dry se
The March of Dimes will hold its largest annual fundraiser this Sunday, Oct. 19, at SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College.
The March for Babies is one of six such annual walks across the March of Dimes’ Central New York region. Four take place in the spring, while Syracuse’s and Watertown’s are in the fall. The event not only raises money to fund research, but also seeks to increase awareness about premature births and other complications of pregnancy.
Registration is still open at marchforbabies.org. Participants can sign up as teams or as an individual. The event also includes music from 93Q and a kids’ zone.
“The March of Dimes funds research into the problems of premature birth and poor birth outcomes. We’re trying to discover the answers to these problems,” said CNY Division Director Johanna Kmetz. “There’s a few things we’re hoping to do with the walk. We want to raise awareness of our mission and help the community to understand that locally, one in eight babies is born too soon. We want people to understand the need for research.”
Nationwide, the March of Dimes helps 89,000 families a year. In some hospitals, including in Albany and New York City, they have a support person on staff in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They also run a website called “Share Your Story,” which allows people to connect with others in similar circumstances.
Such an opportunity is important to those who have had premature babies, who often feel alone and scared while trying to care for their child.
“When you have a premature child, you feel like you’re on an island,” said Eric Smith of Baldwinsville, whose youngest son Cooper was born eight weeks premature. “But there are other people who have gone through the same experiences. They’re dealing with the same issues you’ve dealt with. You can swap stories on what worked at various stages. There are people who’ve just had a baby and people with 15- to 20-year-olds. They show you [that] you can do it.”
Smith and his wife, Nikki, along with Cooper and their other two sons, will be walking on Sunday at OCC. There, they’ll have the opportunity to connect with other families who have had a similar experience.
“Many have walked with us for many years. Some of them actually met in the NICU, so this is like a reunion for them,” Kmetz said. “It’s a very positive and uplifting day.”
All in all, the walk is meant to make people aware of the resources available to all pregnant women and babies through the March of Dimes.
“We’re here for all babies,” Kmetz said. “We want to make sure every baby has a healthy start in life. We’ll continue to research to find the causes of preterm birth and hopefully prevent it from happening.”
And that’s why the Smiths walk.
“I was talking to my oldest one day, and he said, ‘I’m not going to have a preemie,’” Nikki Smith said. “And I said, ‘Well, how can you know that?’ And he said, ‘That’s why we walk for Cooper, so babies won’t be born premature.’”
nse of humor,” Eric said, “and said, ‘I think he’s going to make it.’”
Cooper was one of 15 million babies worldwide to be born premature. He was delivered at 32 weeks of pregnancy; anything prior to 37 weeks is considered premature. With prematurity can come health problems like low birth weight, lung, heart and intestinal deformities or deficiencies, jaundice, anemia and infections, along with lifelong issues with development and growth. The rate of premature births in the United States has risen by 36 percent, costing society more than $26 billion a year. Prematurity is the number one cause of death in infants nationwide.
Most frightening is the fact that preterm birth can happen to anyone. While there are certain risk factors — including lack of prenatal care, maternal age, chronic medical conditions, tobacco use, substance abuse, stress and more — in four out of 10 cases, the cause of prematurity is unknown.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), if a hospital has a dedicated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), like Syracuse’s Crouse Hospital, chances for survival increase dramatically.
“Preterm infants who are delivered at hospitals with high-level NICUs have a better chance of survival,” the ACOG wrote in a pamphlet on preterm birth. “High-level NICUs provide specialized care for infants with serious health problems. These units are better equipped and have doctors and nurses with advanced training and experience in caring for preterm infants.”
Unexpected deliveries
The Smiths knew as early as 16 weeks that something was wrong with their baby when a sonogram showed he wasn’t growing properly.
“That was the first ultrasound when you really get to see the baby,” Eric Smith said. “It’s supposed to be a happy time. [But] the sonogram tech took a really long time [looking at the ultrasound]. There were some concerning measurements.”
“His heart, his kidneys, all his systems — they didn’t know what was wrong, but it didn’t look normal,” Nikki said.
The Smiths were referred to a perinatologist, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies. Nikki was monitored regularly, but Baby Smith just wasn’t developing the way he was supposed to. Ultimately, Nikki was admitted to the hospital and the determination was made that the baby was at higher risk the longer physicians put off his delivery.
“We set 32 weeks as a goal,” Nikki said. “We figured if we could get him there for his lung development, have them as mature as possible, it would be a happy medium. Any further, the risk of him staying in would outweigh the risks of delivery.”
So on Mother’s Day, 2010, at exactly 32 weeks, Cooper Smith was born, weighing just 2 lbs., 1 oz.
“He was no bigger than the palm of my hand,” Eric said.
It’s a story Sara Morrice knows all too well. Her first pregnancy was normal, until 25 weeks, when her blood pressure started to skyrocket. Despite medication, Morrice was admitted to the hospital at 27 weeks with preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that can be deadly to both mother and baby.
“It was Election Day 2008. I was so excited to vote and that didn’t happen,” said Morrice, a teacher who lives in Cicero. “They pulled me from work and told me I would be staying at the hospital until I delivered. At that time we didn’t know how long that would be. I was hopeful I would be sitting in that bed for a good eight to 10 weeks.”
But Morrice wasn’t so lucky. After just four days, her blood pressure spiked, and medication couldn’t bring it down. Twelve hours later, they determined it was time to deliver.
“They rolled me in for the c section and I remember crying and telling them I didn’t want this and it was too early. I begged them not to do it,” Morrice said. “I hardly looked pregnant. I had been in the hospital only four days. We weren’t ready.”
But in order to save both Morrice and her unborn child, the delivery had to go forward. Fortunately, like Cooper Smith, Ashley Morrice was determined to make her presence known.
“Amazingly Ashley came out crying,” Morrice said. “They had her in the isolette and wheeled her by me. They stopped quick to let me see her and she was brought up to the NICU.”
Ashley was just 1 lb., 14 oz., and only a foot long.
“The first time I saw her in the NICU I didn’t know what to do or say,” Morrice said. “It was so scary. She ended up needing help breathing, and there were so many wires attached to her. She was so little. It is not how you picture meeting your child.”
Life in the NICU
During the 68 days Ashley was in the NICU, Morrice said she could hardly leave her side.
“I was lucky and didn’t have to return to work so I went and stayed there all day,” she said. “I usually got up in the morning, made something for dinner and brought it with me because [my husband] would meet me there every night after work. We would eat dinner when the NICU closed for a half hour for shift change. Then once she had her evening care (which is vitals, diaper change and bath every other night) we would make sure she was all settled in and head home around 9 at night. It is unbelievably hard to leave your baby. I cried every night.”
Ashley spent her first Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s in the hospital. She finally came home two weeks before her due date, on Jan. 15, 2009, weighing just 3 lbs., 10 oz.
“We had to be very careful during those first few months,” Morrice said. “It wasn’t until May that we took her out in public.”
The Smiths also had to be very cautious with Cooper. He spent 74 days in the NICU. Unlike Morrice, both Nikki and Eric had to return to work, but one of them was by his side whenever possible.
“We would go [to the hospital] in shifts,” Nikki said. “Eric would go in the early morning, and I would go after the kids went to school. I’d stay until the afternoon, then Eric would come after school, and sometimes one of us would come back in the evenings. We would always set aside one day on weekends to go together.”
Ultimately, with the help of the staff at Crouse, where Cooper was being cared for, the Smiths learned that they needed to continue to live their lives, especially since they had two older boys at home.
“We were trying to be here all the time,” Nikki recalled, “and the nurses said, ‘Figure out what works. Come at the times when you can be most involved — feedings, bath times.’ It helped us to feel like we weren’t deserting part of our family, because that’s how you feel.”
Finally, when Cooper had gotten up to 3 lbs., 8 oz., he was allowed to come home. The Smiths said it was terrifying.
“It’s very similar to your first child,” Eric said. “They say, ‘You can take him home now,’ and you go, ‘Wait a second, no!’ You’re in the same survival mode. It was a little scarier with Cooper, because he was just as tiny as could be.”
“I felt like he stayed swaddled for his first six months. We had to keep him warm,” Nikki said. “He didn’t fit in his car seat — he was too small. You don’t think about these things. Why would you when you’ve had two normal pregnancies?”
The Smiths said they wouldn’t have survived the experience without the help of family and friends, who stepped up to aid them in their time of need, as well as the support of the NICU staff.
“You have to really trust the people that are taking care of your child. You have to be able to walk away every day and know they’re in good hands,” Nikki said. “The nursing staff at Crouse was fantastic for me.”
“The amazing part — any doctor’s office you go to, there’s at least one crabby nurse, one person that doesn’t want to do their job. Never in 74 days did we see someone with their feathers ruffled,” Eric said. “They work 12-hour shifts, and they’re always pleasant and helpful. It didn’t matter what you needed. There was not one person where you said, ‘They’re having a bad day.’ It’s an amazing place.”
Morrice, who also delivered at Crouse, agreed.
“The biggest resource we found helpful were the doctors and nurses at Crouse. They are amazing,” she said. “We had so many questions. Sometimes I would have to ask a question several times until I really understood, and they were so patient. The nurses are beyond amazing and you form bonds with them.”
Parenting a preemie
Fortunately for both families, both Cooper and Ashley are now thriving. Cooper has had some long-term complications, but the Smiths aren’t sure if they were caused by his early birth or whatever caused his limited growth in the first place.
“He’s had a number of surgeries, on his eyes, on his kidney,” Nikki said.
“He’s had to go to the children’s center for dehydration. We have to keep a close eye on him, because if he gets sick, he can go downhill a lot faster,” Eric said. “But he survived because he’s the baby that came out screaming. You look at him, at his size, and you think he can’t do this, but he will find a way to do anything. He’s overcome any limitations. He has this will that’s scary at times.”
Eric said parents of preemies should be aware that their kids are tougher than they look.
“Preemies are fighters,” he said. “Seeing Cooper, you think they may look frail, but they’re stronger than you think. Their will is tremendous.”
Morrice agreed. She’s watched her tiny baby grow into a happy, healthy almost-6-year-old.
“She is amazing,” Morrice said.
Ashley was also lucky enough to have suffered no long-term complications.
“I would say around 2 years, she was pretty much caught up developmentally,” Morrice said. “She was always little as a toddler, but now she is very average, and I would even say on the tall side. You would never know looking at her now she was a preemie.”
Despite her experience, Morrice went on to have another child, Andrew, who was born in 2013.
“For a long time, I was positive Ashley was going to be an only child,” she said. “The thought of going through all that again scared me to death. After a lot of soul searching and talking to the doctors we decided to try again.”
Morrice’s second pregnancy was completely without complications.
“The happiest day of his pregnancy was when I was 28 weeks and one day pregnant. I was nervous up to that point. I felt like once I passed the mark of when Ashley was born, it would be ok,” she said. “His pregnancy was perfect — no complications and he was born on his scheduled delivery date. It was a completely different experience.”
Both families feel fortunate to have happy endings to their stories.
“There are so many people who have been through this, babies who are so sick,” Nikki said. “We were lucky — Cooper was never on a ventilator. The things parents go through… I can’t imagine it.”
Morrice said she almost feels lucky for having experienced a premature birth.
“I think our experience made us better parents. We take nothing for granted,” she said. “Our children always come first and we cherish every moment. We know what’s important in life. Ashley and Andrew are both miracles.”
