Navy Anderson: The Twin Who Survived

“Jamie Anderson was thrilled to learn she was pregnant with twins, but four months later her daughter, Navy, and son, Jackson, arrived 17 weeks too soon. Jackson survived only three-and-a-half hours. Navy, weighing just 1 lb., 6 oz., spent the next 116 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) fighting for her life.

Navy, now seven years old, has been named the 2005 National Ambassador for the March of Dimes. Throughout the year, Navy and her parents, Jamie and Mike, will travel the country to help raise awareness of the growing crisis of premature birth which has increased by 29 percent since 1981.

Every year, close to half a million babies are born prematurely in the U.S. “If there’s one family out there who would see Navy and have hope for their child in a NICU,” said Jamie, “then we’ll feel that we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.” While their family is grateful for her remarkable outcome, they are reminded daily of the loss of Jackson and the important work still to be done to ensure a healthy full-term birth for all babies.

In 2003, the March of Dimes launched a national, multimillion-dollar campaign to educate the public about the serious, common and costly problem of prematurity; to raise funds to conduct research; and to reduce the rate of premature birth from 12.1 percent in 2002 to 7.6 percent in 2010, in accordance with the U.S. Public Health Service Healthy People 2010 objective. The total national hospital bill for premature babies was $15.5 billion in 2002, according to the March of Dimes.

“Premature birth has become the most common, serious and costly problem facing America’s infants,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes. “The Anderson family knows firsthand the struggles surrounding a premature birth, with both the joy of having a baby survive and the heartache of the loss of a child. We are so grateful for their willingness to travel the country to help generate awareness and raise funds to fight this growing crisis.”

At 13 weeks gestation, Jamie was told that a twin she was carrying might have died. At 18 weeks, she experienced bleeding and an ultrasound showed that both twins were alive, but that one was in serious trouble. Each week the situation became more precarious for Jamie’s and the twins’ health. Jamie was rushed to the hospital at 23 weeks into the pregnancy and placed on bed rest. She was given medication to treat infection caused by a prolonged membrane rupture and just four days later she went into active labor. Jackson was born first at 1 lb. 2 oz. and died three-an-a-half hours later. Navy was born shortly after her brother and was immediately transferred to the NICU.

After spending time in four NICUs, 12 blood transfusions and surgeries for heart and eye problems, Navy finally came home. Seven years later, Jamie and Mike still have not met another family with a child born at 23 weeks with a positive outcome like Navy’s who remarkably has no serious health problems as a result of her premature birth. The Anderson family credits advances funded in part by the March of Dimes, such as surfactant therapy, for giving Navy her high quality of life.

The March of Dimes National Ambassador Program is an annual campaign, started in 1946, that puts a face on the March of Dimes mission. Throughout the year, the National Ambassador attends events and conferences, speaks with volunteers, does media interviews and appears with corporate leaders, celebrities and the President of the United States to raise awareness of the March of Dimes.

“We greatly appreciate the generosity of Delta Air Lines, which is serving as the official airline of the 2005 National Ambassador Program, carrying the Anderson’s around the country to support the March of Dimes in its mission,” Dr. Howse added.

Nancy O’Dell, award-winning co-anchor of NBC’s Access Hollywood, will serve as celebrity spokesperson for the 2005 National Ambassador Program.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a five-year campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at nacersano.org.

Delta Air Lines is proud to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2004. Delta is the world’s second largest airline in terms of passengers carried and the leading U.S. carrier across the Atlantic, offering daily flights to 493 destinations in 87 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. Delta's marketing alliances allow customers to earn and redeem frequent flier miles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. For more information, visit delta.com.”