From Deseret News archives:
Saving babies is family's dream
Toddler, mom are March of Dimes ambassadors
After she was born at Cottonwood Hospital, Savanah was transferred to University Hospital, where she spent her first 90 days in a newborn intensive-care unit. Early on, she had heart surgery for a valve that didn't close.
Premature babies are fragile, and at one point, she picked up a virus and was placed once again on a ventilator. She slept at night with support from a continuous positive airway pressure mask. Her days were first tenuous, then more assured as she got stronger.
She was one of the luckiest of premature babies, her mom says. She didn't have many of the complications preemies can face. And she had "beautiful lungs for a preemie."
It's hard to reconcile the image of that undersize preemie with Savanah today as she plays a favorite game with her mom. They lie on the floor and Blackett says, "Dream." Instantly, Savanah closes her beautiful dark eyes and pretends to sleep. When mom says, "Wake up!" her eyes pop open and the two of them collapse with laughter.
Savanah is a bright, healthy toddler who will turn 2 in June. And just as March of Dimes efforts helped her, she and her mom are returning the favor. They're Utah's "ambassador family" for the organization this year.
Savanah is the March of Dimes' 2007 poster child, and the two Blacketts will be familiar faces at the organization's walkathons throughout the state in coming weeks, including the Salt Lake City walk this Saturday. When the WalkAmerica fund-raiser hits Utah County in May, they plan to walk, too, along with Blackett's best friend, whose baby was also born prematurely.
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