Visit Catharine's blog at marchofdimes.com/catharinesblog to follow her as she travels coast to coast.
See Catharine's National Ambassador card.
Catharine was born 16 weeks early, measuring only 12 inches in length. Her story represents just one of the more than half a million babies born preterm each year in the United States. As the National Ambassador, Catharine and her parents, Susan and Mike, of Allentown, Pennsylvania will travel the country throughout the year to share their story and help raise awareness of the growing crisis of premature birth, which has increased by more than 30 percent in the U.S. since 1981.
“The March of Dimes is committed to ensuring a healthy birth for every baby.” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. “Premature birth continues as the number one health problem for newborns. Babies who survive often suffer from serious, lifelong complications. We're proud to have the Aboulhouda family represent the March of Dimes nationally in an effort to help more babies be born healthy.”
The Family's Story
Since Catharine was 16 weeks early, her eyes were fused shut and she fought for every breath, facing daily challenges caused by a heart defect, bleeding in her brain, jaundice and a heart murmur.
After 113 days in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Catharine went home with her parents and big brother, Michael, still fragile enough to need monitors and oxygen. Amazingly, she has no lasting consequences of her extremely premature birth, thanks in part to medical advances developed and funded by the March of Dimes.
Today, Catharine is a healthy 5-year-old with the energy of a firecracker — she loves singing, reading with her grandparents and swimming with her brother Michael. Susan says, “Perhaps one reason Catharine came into the world early is to let people know that even the tiniest babies can make a difference.”
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth.
The March of Dimes National Ambassador Program is an annual campaign, started in 1946, that puts a face on the March of Dimes mission. Throughout the year, the National Ambassador attends events and conferences, speaks with volunteers, does media interviews and appears with corporate leaders, celebrities and the President of the United States to raise awareness of the March of Dimes.
Continental Airlines Sponsors 2008 National Ambassador Program
Continental Airlines is the official airline of the March of Dimes 2008 National Ambassador Program. “Continental is proud to come together with the March of Dimes to fight premature birth,” said Larry Kellner, Chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines. “This marks our third year as the official airline of the National Ambassador Program. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to joining Catharine and the March of Dimes in their efforts to help save babies.”
Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 144 domestic and 138 international destinations. More than 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 45,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 67 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.
