Elijah Jackson of Elgin (center) has been names March of Dimes National AMbassador for 2015.

The March of Dimes has announced that its 2015 National Ambassador is 12-year-old Elijah Jackson of Elgin.

His story is an amazing reminder of perseverance and the human spirit, one of the reasons he and his family were chosen to travel the country to share his story and raise awareness of premature birth.

Elise Jackson was healthy and doing everything right when her water broke halfway through her pregnancy.

After five weeks of bed rest in the hospital and careful monitoring, she and her husband, Todd, welcomed their son into the world on May 8, 2002 at 25 weeks. He weighed a little more than a pound and was 11 inches long.

Everything happened so suddenly, explains Elise, that “there wasn’t time for me to take in the magnitude of the situation — the birth of my only child, the fact that he arrived months earlier than expected, and the incredibly long journey ahead for our family.”
Elijah spent seven months in a newborn intensive care unit where he had heart surgery and received treatment for respiratory and digestive problems, anemia and jaundice.

When his happy parents finally took him home, he continued to be monitored with a feeding tube, respiratory support and a tracheotomy in his throat to help him breathe easier. Elijah’s medical bills totaled more than $1.2 million.

Today, Elijah is a student at Larsen Middle School in Elgin. As he continues to overcome challenges, he inspires others, especially his parents.

Elise, a March of Dimes volunteer for 10 years, rallies her colleagues at United year round, while Todd, a member of March of Dimes national service partner Phi Beta Sigma, Inc., also helps lead the local March for Babies walks and their family team.
Elijah and his family recently appeared on Fox News with Gretchen Carlson. Elijah will also lead the Lakefront March for Babies fundraising walk in Chicago’s Grant Park on April 26.

–Suburban Chronicle news sources