Hi Friends!

While November is known as the month for giving and gratefulness, at Healthy Start, it is also the month we recognize as National Prematurity Awareness Month - something that causes some sadness and sorrow. Fortunately, GivingTuesday is just around the corner and is an easy way for you to support the work we do.

We also have some exciting stories to share. Recently, we added a new Administrative Assistant to the Healthy Start family and are happy to share a client success story that is sure to warm your heart this holiday season.

In addition to posting the December Diaper schedule and the date for the general coalition meeting next month, we had the great honor of hosting Madison's Miracles 6th Annual 5K Remembrance Run/Walk for Babies Gone Too Soon.

We hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving!

With gratitude,

Your friends at Healthy Start
National Prematurity Awareness Month
November 2022
November is National Prematurity Awareness Month, an important time to raise awareness of the maternal and infant health crisis of preterm births.

Every year, we place butterflies in front of Cleveland Clinic North Hospital to symbolize every baby born prematurely in Martin County.

Unfortunately, experts don’t know all the reasons that some babies are born too early. However, there are ‘risk factors' that can increase the chance that a woman will have a preterm birth, including:
  • Delivering a premature baby in the past
  • Being pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets, etc.)
  • Using or abusing tobacco or other substances
  • Experiencing short time (<18 months) between pregnancies

In 2021, we had 97 babies born before 39 weeks, which is down from last year’s 127. We continue on our mission to ensure babies are born healthy, and we are proud to share the improvements on this critical milestone.
Welcome, Roxi, our New
Administrative Assistant to the Team!
Roxanne “Roxi”, Administrative Assistant, comes to Martin County Healthy Start Coalition from the recently acquired non-profit program, Madison’s Miracles, where she worked part-time as an administrative assistant. Before that, she was an administrative assistant at Dart Container Sales Company for many years, supporting a large team of National Account Managers.

Roxi is a certified postpartum doula and has served many families with newborns in Martin, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties here in Florida, as well as in New York State and New Jersey. She loves caring for infants, helping families adjust to parenthood, and watching them thrive. Her administrative assistant background and doula experience make Martin County Healthy Start Coalition a perfect fit for her.

Born and raised in rural western upstate New York, the Finger Lakes area is home to most of her family. She moved to Florida in the early '90s and raised her two children in Boca Raton. Her grown children, stepsons, and her 1-year-old grandson are spread throughout the country between Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, and South Dakota. Roxi lives in Palm City with her husband, Jim, and their dog, Lily.

Roxi has an AAS degree in Ornamental Horticulture and floral design. She enjoys crafts, cooking, and spending time with family - especially her grandchild. She loves the great outdoors and hiking mountains. She brings her creativity to our team and mission.
Meet Dilma
Success Story
Early in Dilma’s pregnancy, she enrolled in our Nurse-Family Partnership Program. She had previously had a fetal loss and was very concerned about this labor and birth experience. Dilma’s home visitation nurse connected her to the doula program, where she became the program’s very first participant. She achieved her ideal birth as a result of her doula keeping her and her partner, Tony, informed, offering them support, and advocating for her wishes. 

Dilma and Tony live in Indiantown with a larger household including extended family members and others. Just after Baby Tony, Jr. was born, her nurse was meeting in the home to offer postpartum and breastfeeding support. As part of Dilma's culture, it is customary to eat hot foods after giving birth. However, the stove in Dilma's home was broken, and there were no financial resources to replace it.

Prior to Tony Jr’s arrival, Dilma had completed nursing school and is studying for nursing board exams but is not currently employed. Tony, the baby's father, is working full-time in a medical office, but still has limited financial resources. Once the visiting nurse learned of the situation, she told us of the situation.

Through a very generous donation from the Lichtenberger Emergent Assistant Program at the Community Foundation Martin-St Lucie, we were able to install a brand new stove to help this family. Now Dilma and her family can enjoy her favorite meal - a hearty bowl of piping hot soup.

Thank you so much to the Lichtenberger Family for this vital contribution, and thank you to Dilma and Tony for allowing us to share their story.
A Global Movement of Generosity
GivingTuesday
“Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways, it can change someone else's life forever.”
- Margaret Cho

GivingTuesday, created in 2012, was a simple idea that quickly turned global. The day was created to inspire hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity around the world! 

When we come together, every act of generosity strengthens our community. Please join us in our mission to support healthy moms, babies, and families in Martin County by participating in Giving Tuesday.

There are many ways to donate. Click on the image above or visit our website to learn how you can help today.
5k Remembrance Walk/Run Recap
Madison's Miracles
This year, we had the great privilege of hosting Madison's Miracles 6th Annual 5K Remembrance Run/Walk for Babies Gone Too Soon, a fundraiser and awareness event held for the last five years.

In honor of the Stamper family and their late daughter Madison, we had 228 dedicated registrants help us raise over $13,500 for the special angel babies that are no longer with us.

Thank you to all who joined us in this special awareness event and for all the donations that will help our families in need.

Be sure to save the date for next year - Saturday, October 21, 2023!.
December Diaper Schedule
Horario de Pañales de Diciembre
Photo ID Required - Available while supplies last.
Licencia Requerida - Disponible hasta que se acaban.
For more information, call 772-463-2141.
Para más información, llame a 772-463-2141.
December General Coalition Meeting
Join us Friday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. for our next Quarterly General Coalition Meeting!

This month's agenda is packed with exciting programmatic updates about MOM Mobile: Maternity on the Move and the David Cardno Father & Child Resource Center. We will also be highlighting one of our special community partners. 

The meeting will be held at the 10th Street Community Center - 724 SE 10th Street.


We hope to see you there!
Please respond directly to this email if you have any comments or questions. Thanks for reading!
Martin County Healthy Start Coalition | mchealthystart.org