The Baby Center The Baby Center

Reach Foundation is a United States health charity whose mission is to improve the

health of premature babies. It also supports neonatal intensive care units, NICUs, which are designed to treat sick babies.

Nearly half a million premature babies are born each year, which is equivalent to one out of every nine children born. A premature birth is one that happens at least three weeks before the due date. Premature babies may have long-term health problems like autism, hearing loss and vision problems. 99 percent of Reach’s fundraising goes towards medical advances in the care for premature babies.

In The Issue Page 1 -Read about us -Preemies fight the hardest Page 2 -Preemies can be financial burdens

Page 3 -What mother’s can do to help -5k Run

Page 4 -Calendar -Staff

“Perhaps one reason Catherine came into the world early is to let people know that even the tiniest babies can make a difference.” — Susan Aboulhouda

Vol. 5 No. 7The Official Newsletter of the Reach Foundation

December 2013

Preemies fight the hardest

Expected to be her family’s Halloween treat, Catharine Aboulhou-da instead arrived on the Fourth of July. She weighed just 1 pound, 10 ounces, and measured only 12 inches long. Since she

was 16 weeks early, her eyes were still fused shut. Catherine 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 NICU, Catharine went home with her parents. She was still fragile enough to need monitors and oxygen. Amazingly, she has no lasting consequences of her extremely premature birth.

Today, Catharine, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a healthy five-year-old with the energy of a firecracker. She loves singing, reading with her grandparents, and swimming. She continues to share her story around the world to help others understand the seriousness of premature birth.

Premature babies require special equipment, treament and medicine.

RRead about us

What mother’s can do to help

T o this day, the cost of care for premature babies is sky-high. Some costs are 15 times the expense of full-term infants and rising.

Ryan Camil weighed one pound fifteen ounces when he was born on November 3rd, 2012, after only 28 weeks in the womb. Ryan spent his first 70 days in a neonatal intensive care unit, kept alive by an array of specialized ventilators, intravenous feeding pumps, and advanced diagnostic gear. There was around-the-clock attention from the hospital staff as well. Like many other preemies, or babies born earlier than 37 weeks, Ryan suffered from many complications. He was afflicted with two brain abnormalities, which caused him to he throw up constantly. Ryan’s parents had to care for him amid a tangled nest of wires that snaked out of his crib, which help him breathe and eat. Five weeks after he arrived home, Ryan suddenly stopped breathing. His parents came running when his respiratory monitor sounded an alarm. Within minutes, an ambulance rushed Ryan to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

At the hospital, doctors hooked Ryan to a machine that helped him breathe and upped his dose of a drug to

stimulate lung function. In coming weeks there would be other life-threatening events, but this time, Ryan was able to return home after one night in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Preemies are a quickly expanding class of patients in the United States. The Reach Foundation has found that anual costs run up about $26 billion, mostly related to care in NICUs. This high cost represents about half of

all of the money hospitals will spend on all preemies. When factoring in the cost of treating the possible lifelong disabilities and the years of lost productivity for the caregivers, the cost may be over $50 billion. Ryan was not a million-dol-lar baby, but he was not

far from it. The cost for Ryan’s first two months in the hospital exceeded $400,000. Through your donations, the Reach Foundation has been able to financially assist the Camil family. This family’s experience was difficult, your support has signifigantly lessened their hardships. Ryan’s hospital bills are now fully paid for and the Cam family is enjoying time with their son. Thanks to you, Ryan was able to celebrate his first birthday a month ago.

Ryan Camil’s first baby photo

Preemies can be financial burdens

“The cost for Ryan’s first

two months in the hospital

exceeded $400,000.”

What mother’s can do to help

Reach for the finish line!

15th Annual Reach Foundation 5k

Saturday, March 8th, 2014

Registration Fee- $50

All proceeds goes towards Premature Medical Care

Sign up at:www.reachfoundation.org

Alex and his mother when he was first born.

There are many solutions that women can do to improve their health, lower the risk of having a premature baby, and keep their baby be healthy. Help the Reach Foundation promote

healthy living for pregnant women so that they can avoid the possibility of a premature birth. First, a woman should quit smoking and avoid alcohol or drugs.Also, they should see their health care provider for a medical checkup before and throughout the pregnancy.

All women should talk to their health care provider about how to best control diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Women should especially have a healthy diet and take prenatal vitamins. Finally, it is important to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before and during early pregnancy.

“I found my babies did better when I read to them. It helped me feel like I was doing something motherly during those times when I couldn’t hold them.” — Alex’s mother, Susie Smith

Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayTuesday Saes==-

December

NonprofitU.S. Postage

PAIDAtlanta, GAPermit 86

Reach Foundation 275 Peachtree St. Building C, Suite 12

Marietta, Ga 30603

706.983.1232Email us at reach@org.edu

1 2Staff Meeting

3 4 5 6 7Reach Press Conference

8 9Staff Meeting

10 11 12Fashion Show

13 14

15Bake Sale

16Staff Meeting

17 18 19Reach Press Conference

20 21Benefit Concert in Piedmont Park

22 23Staff Meeting

24 25 ChristmasHospital Visits in Atlanta

26 27 28

29 30Staff Meeting

31Happy New Year!

Saturday

Staff Editor: Becca Kanaverskis Associate Editor: Jennifer Jones Designer: Katie Sykes Staff Writer: Leah Via

R