My name is Brian Schnieder, and I’m part of the ambassador family for the March of Dimes in Omaha, Nebraska. Seven years ago, my son Jackson was born prior to twenty-five weeks. My wife had a medical condition that was undetected until she was further along in her pregnancy. He was born weighing one pound, one ounce, and was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. He spent 109 days in the NICU. When he finally came home to us, he’d accumulated over a million dollars in medical expenses.
One of the greatest blessings in my life is being a father. One of the greatest challenges was watching my son struggle for life the first three months of his life. I strongly encourage you to support proper prenatal care for all mothers and children.
[DDET Video Transcript]My name is Brian Schnieder, and I’m part of the ambassador family for the March of Dimes in Omaha, Nebraska. Seven years ago, my son Jackson was born prior to twenty-five weeks. My wife had a medical condition that was undetected until she was further along in her pregnancy. He was born weighing one pound, one ounce, and was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. He spent 109 days in the NICU. When he finally came home to us, he’d accumulated over a million dollars in medical expenses.
Two years ago, my daughter Madeline Grace was born, and with proper prenatal care, detection and treatment, she was able to go to 35 weeks, spent seven hours in the NICU, and came home with us three days after she was born.
It is our belief that every baby deserves that chance, that opportunity. The simple economics behind prenatal care is a no-brainer: it’s what every baby’s right is, and it saves every taxpayer money. Every child deserves a right to a healthy start. Without that, how many generations of future doctors, lawyers, teachers, and politicians have we lost due to improper health care?
One of the greatest blessings in my life is being a father. One of the greatest challenges was watching my son struggle for life the first three months of his life. I strongly encourage you to support proper prenatal care for all mothers and children.[/DDET]