Reaching Out...*

... To All My Faithful Readers & Friends.

Below is a copy of a letter I received today in the mail.
It is from one of my very dear friends, Christina on behalf of her Sister & family
but most importantly, her nephew Ashton.
I wanted to share it with all of you as I know the generosity you're all capable of
& have been more often than not, with me.
I am beyond thankful to each & every one of you
who have gone above & beyond
to help my little family in times of need.
Now, it is time to think of paying it forward.
My dear friend Christina sent me this letter
in the hopes of reaching as many people as possible
to help her during this walk for the march of dimes
in honor of her adorable nephew, Ashton.
I don't even have a job right now
but I plan on helping as much as I can
and knew that if I put this out here,
that it not only wouldn't hurt, but would be well received.
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read this
& to those of you who feel compelled to help,
I really have no words other than,
thank you SO MUCH!!
(& I'm pretty sure that Ashton thanks you too.)

*Pictures of Ashton at birth
& updated ones of a very healthy vibrant little boy
& his family will soon follow,
as thus far my attempts to upload them
have been unsuccessful
due to Blogger's being a bit moody!*

Hello Family and Friends,
As you might be aware, our family has been touched by the March of Dimes mission to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. That’s why we have formed a Family Team “Ashton’s Crew” to raise money and participate in Walk America. Please join us in our fundraising efforts today by sponsoring our walk.
Contributing to our team is fast, easy and secure. You can either donate directly from my personal web page with a credit/debit card or use the enclosed envelope and the blue donation sheet to send in your donation. Your donation is greatly appreciated. You may use the enclosed self stamped envelope with the form to send in your donation rather than doing it online. Every penny counts.
Our family knows firsthand the challenges associated with prematurity. It is important to find out why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it. By raising money, ongoing research to answer these critical questions is funded. When you support “Ashton’s Crew”, you show you care and you give hope for defeating premature birth and other threats to babies.
Please join us and millions of compassionate people across the country who support Walk America each year. We need your help. Visit our web page and sponsor our walk!


Click Here to Donate & Read More About Ashton's Crew!

Thank you,
Steven, Jennifer and Ashton Sousa

With your support, there’s hope


“Ashton's Story”

Following the premature birth of his son Ashton Joseph, Steven spent frightening days watching both his wife and their tiny baby fight for their lives. Jennifer had developed complications 26 weeks into her pregnancy. In danger of kidney, heart failure and coma, she had an emergency c-section. Ashton was born weighing just 1 pound, 7 ounces. Both mom and baby survived, but Ashton spent the first 123 days of his life in neonatal intensive care.
He was given surfactant therapy right away to
help his immature lungs inflate and went on to fight and win one medical battle after another - anemia, abnormal blood coagulation, medical NEC, and jaundice. Prior to coming home Ashton faced surgery to correct his bilateral hernias. Despite all of his hurdles, Ashton is an energetic 2-year-old who loves music, dancing, coloring, reading and spending time with his family and friends.

As a former 26 weeker, Ashton will walk with his parents,
Jennifer and Steve, and many friends and family to share
their story, raising awareness of the seriousness of
premature birth. Every year, more than half a million
babies are born prematurely in the U.S. - a national health
crisis that must be stopped. Jennifer explains, "Due to the
increasing rate of premature birth among American
women, we feel an urgency to work with the March of
Dimes to raise awareness and to support research that
would further impact the lives of babies. We are very
passionate about helping all families."

Every year, half a million babies in the U.S. are born prematurely. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and many life long disabilities. The funds we raise in Walk America support research that saves babies' lives.

Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Please everyone who sees this know what a great cause this is. All who donate and help my heart goes out to you. Thank you for helping save our baby and all the other babies out there.