March for Babies 2016

The Family Qhamata will be participating in the March for Babies again this year.  This is our 8th Annual march.

This year I'm looking to order team shirts this year. They will be purple with "Team Qhamatas" on the back.

We got long sleeves, short sleeves and special request only are the Family Team bandana's.

Short Sleeve shirts: Youth-XL = $7.50 (including tax and shipping)
Long Sleeve shirts: Youth-XL = $10.50
Bandana: $3.50

Anything over XL add $2.

I will need orders and payments the order by February 21, 2016.

Email me, Facebook, or call in your orders. Payments can be made here: paypal.me/FAID

Don't forget to join our team!

Look forward to seeing you April 24th @ 8:30.

Why we march

Each year my family and I participate in the March for Babies walk to support premature babies and families. While we have our own reasons for marching we are reminded everyday of other reasons.

I found this article about Zoë Saldana and while she references a different  charity the cause, reason and n outcomes are the same and should inspire others.  Our first walk in 2008 was fun and because we believed in the cause but after we became personally invested.

March for Babies 2016

2015 Butterfly Garden 

Each year the March for babies give participants the option to donate and purchase butterflies for a butterfly garden in memorial or celebration of a life lost or granted by the aid of today's technology and funds made and given from the March of Dimes.

It is that time again, the March of Dimes has set the schedule for the 2016 March for Babies.  And the Team Qhamatas will be at it again.  We hope you will join us or at least donate.  

Join our team for 2016: Team Qhamatas

Why we walk

When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to nearly half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. We’ve been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $2.3 billion to benefit all babies.

What to expect

This year, 3 million people will join their family, friends and colleagues in nearly 700 communities across the nation. Our volunteers and staff will encourage and support you in your efforts to raise awareness and funds. No matter if this is your first year or your 25th, you can expect the event to be fun, compelling and rewarding.

Walk Distance: 5 miles

Registration Time: 8:00 AM

Start Time: 9:00 AM

Chapter: Houston Division

Welcome to National Prematurity Awareness Month

We have made it to another year.  Welcome to the National Prematurity Awareness Month -NOVEMBER. 

It's that time of year again.  I have no words for the joy I feel participating with the March for Babies each year.  The first year we did it to support the organization, but after 2009 preterm labor and birth took on a whole new meaning for me and my family.  Now we walk to support the organization, but also in memory of our DS who was born way to soon due to complications.  But we also thank the March of Dimes for all they do because after him I had 2 successful full term pregnancies with the help of medical care and weekly progesterone shots that helped me carry my DS and DD right to the 37 week mark.

So this month I want everyone to remember those in their family born to soon or those in your extended families (friends/co-workers) that were born to soon.  Wear PURPLE in love on November 17th for World Prematurity Day. 

MARCH FOR BABIES Coming Soon!

Qhamata Team get ready the walk for babies is this Sunday at 9am.  Please me us at the University of Houston Stadium by 8:30 for the walk.  Look forward to seeing you.

Also if you haven't signed up for our team yet please go to The Qhamatas Page and sign up.  Lunch will not be provided if you are not registered.

It's that time again, MARCH FOR BABIES TIME!

It’s that time of year again - it’s March for Babies season! We all love walking for babies, lets start by kicking off Qhamatas team fundraising. 

Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. I'm walking in March for Babies because I want to do something about this. And I need your help.

Please support my walk. Making a secure donation is easy: just click the 'donate now' button on this page. Thank you for helping me give all babies a healthy start!

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

2014 Marchfor Babies Walk With Me or Make Donation Here

World Prematurity Day

World Prematurity Day is fast approaching, on November 17, 2012.  Please help blog on that day to raise awareness to overcome all the issues with prematurity and help decrease and/or eliminate premature births.

Urge the President to raise awareness about the prematurity crisis by lighting the White House purple!

Our goal is to get the White House lit in purple on January 3, 2013 — both to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the March of Dimes by President Franklin Roosevelt, and to give hope to the families whose children have been born too soon.

So far, more than 7,000 people have signed our petition at WhiteHouse.gov. Please join them by November 18 and help us raise awareness about the prematurity crisis:

sign petition

MARCH FOR BABIES

The 5th Annual Qhamata March for the Babies has kicked off.  The March of Dimes has released the date of the 2012 March for babies.  Those of you in the Houston area it will be at Robertson Stadium April 29, 2012.  We have already started fundraising and we are looking for Walkers to join TEAM QHAMATA!   


Please sign up to join the team and walk with me or give donations to the cause at Qhamata Family March.  


For those of you that are new to this every year the March of Dimes holds a march/run/family fun day similar to the Susan G. Komen Walk for Breast Cancer.  The difference is this march is to support the research to help determine, prevent and aid in the lives of mothers and children at risk of or born prematurely.  The proceeds also aid in medical research to find the cause and or develop ways to slow or stop prematurity all together.  One of these medical discoveries is the Progesterone shot (17P or Mirena) that helps to keep everything needed to hold in the baby closed so you can make it hopefully to full term or as long as your body allows giving the baby a greater outside survival rate. 


We as a family have participated in the march since 2008 when we first found out about it and loving kids as we do decided to join and raise money.  In 2009 we got a first hand reason to continue our efforts to help other families prevent premature birth or be able to afford the medical care of a premature child.  I know about the shot mentioned above because it has helped bring me my daughter Khalifah who even though I was 3cm dilated weeks before my water broke at 37 wks 6 days I still made it full term before her birth.  I am on them again with this little bundle of joy in hopes of making it the same distance.  


Please Join our family as we continue to fight against prematurity and try to bring every baby into the world with a fighting chance.


Join us here: Qhamata Family March!

World Prematurity Awareness Day is Today!

Today is National prematurity awareness day and I hope that everyone takes the time to think and cherish their kids that they have and ones they may have lost.

In April 2009 I was accepted into the club of parents who loved and lost to soon a baby born to early.  Since then I have been blessed with a healthy little girl born just 2 weeks early and still full term.  Do in part to the additional medical care received during her gestation.  The main part I give thanks to God for.  I am again expecting (Insha'Allah - God willing) our last little bundle of joy and am again under the watchful eyes of God and my doctors.

I look at my story and the many of those of the women from the message boards I frequent and I know that sharing my story and being an advocate and volunteer for the March of dimes - March for babies is the best way I know how to give back to those that are in need and stop or decrease the number of babies born to early.  Also help those that are have a greater chance of survival by giving the resources for them to get better health care and advanced equipment.

Please Join me in the 2012 March for baby and Help the babies of the future have a fighting chance.  I know that's what I'd want for mine.

World Prematurity Awareness Month

World prematurity Awareness month has begun.  This month is used to give awareness to a growing issue that needs attention and many families have to struggle with alone because there isn't much known about prevention or help after a baby is born prematurely.  Please visit March of Dimes for more details on this month and World Prematurity Day on November 17th.




Prematurity Awareness MonthNovember is Prematurity Awareness Month® and when the March of Dimes focuses the nation’s attention on premature birth. The awareness month kicks off on November 1 with the release of the 2011 Premature Birth Report Card. November 17 marks World Prematurity Day, and the March of Dimes and our partner organizations worldwide are asking everyone to help spread the world on the serious problem of premature birth.

National Prematurity Awareness Day

As I did last year I'm blogging to raise awareness about prematurity.  I didn't know about this day in 2008, but I did participate with my husband and then 2yo daughter Africa in our first March for Babies to raise money and awareness for prematurity. However in 2009 the cause struck closer to my heart and my family as our son Kirikou was born 20 wks to soon.  Being so early and under developed we were told there was nothing that could be done for him.  He lived for 4 hours after being born.  He was a strong baby no matter how small.  The short time that he lived raised the love and appreciation for others going through this situation.

In 2010 I hit the streets again raising money for the March for Babies.  This time I upped my goal.  I have yet to meet it, but still have till the end of December.  We were also blessed this year with a beautiful little girl, Khalifah. But the heartache of the outcome of my last pregnancy made me a little paranoid this time and also classified me this go around as High Risk of preterm labor since I had a previous early birth.  Therefore I was prescribed weekly P17 shots to keep all the parts that usually start labor closed and was  closely monitored by my OB and a Perinatologist.  My little one still arrived 2 weeks early in the 'Full Term' range, but still at risk for issues.  However (Alhamdulilah-All praises to God) she had none.  I like to think that people like myself that see the need to assist families like myself and others that have lost a child, has one with ailments, or is currently perfectly healthy but all born too soon that this blog post and the money we raise yearly for the March for Babies is doing something.

Please take this blog and think about someone you may know that was born premature whether it be a family member, friend, or child of a friend if you think hard enough you will find that there are more premature births than you realize.  After thinking about it look into the March for Babies and if in Houston I would love to see you marching on either April 24th in Montgomery county or May 1st at UH Robinson stadium(<-I will be at this one).

Help me spread the word and Reach my goal!

Fight for Preemies is fast approaching

http://marchofdimes.com/fight

Objective:
Every year, 20 million babies are born too soon, too small and very sick-half a million of them in the U.S. November 17th is when we fight!