On the morning of May 4, 2004 Kathy was alarmed to discover that she was in labor – not what she expected only 33.5 weeks into her pregnancy. "I thought I was having Braxton Hicks until my water started to break a couple hours later – then I knew I was in labor," says Kathy. Contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart. After a quick call to Peter at work, Kathy and Peter met at her doctor's office, where the doctor administered a Tocolytic agent designed to stop the uterus from contracting. Known to sometimes delay delivery for as long as 5 days, the drug only slowed her contractions for 30 minutes. She also received a dose of antenatal steroids to help the baby's lungs, and also some antibiotics. Kathy was admitted to Legacy Emanuel Hospital that afternoon.

Knowing that their child might be facing health risks and aware of the challenges faced previously by his sister, Patricia, and her premature son, Ethan, Peter immediately called his father and another sister, a pediatrician and neonatal ICU nurse, respectively. They were able to quickly educate him on the development of the fetus – at Keeli's age, all but her lungs likely will be fully developed. Armed with that information and the knowledge of the advances made in pre-natal research and care thanks to the March of Dimes, Peter and Kathy were able to have a frank discussion with their nurses and doctor. They began to feel more confident about the chances of a "normal" delivery and healthy baby.

At approximately 7 pm, Kathy gave birth to a 4 lb, 2 oz baby girl– Keeli Quinn. After only seconds in her mother's arms, Keeli was whisked across the hall to triage where she was examined by a group of specialists. She received Apgar scores of 8 and 9 (out of 10) at one and five minutes respectively, and was moved to the NICU for IV fluids, heart and respiratory regulation, and antibiotics – all standard care for a preemie. Keeli had some mild respiratory distress, and received a dose of surfactant replacement to help the lungs from collapsing when she exhaled. This drug was approved by the FDA in 1990 in a near record five months. She was also on a nasal CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) for 24 hours to help with breathing and received feedings through a Gavage tube until she was able to suck, swallow and breathe, usually learned at 34 to 35 weeks of age. As difficult as it was to see their newborn hooked up to machines – the IV, needles and other medical equipment are sized specifically for premature babies – equipment that was made possible through research funded by the March of Dimes, Kathy and Peter were thankful that the equipment was designed to work for the baby's unique needs.

"As far as my feelings during labor, I was somewhat relieved to hear that delivering a baby at 33.5 weeks shouldn't have too many complications, however, it was still a very scary experience not knowing what could be wrong with her. Having a baby is a very emotional experience, then add to that the potential for complications and seeing your baby hooked up to all sorts of equipment, it's not the way you imagine your child coming into the world. After the initial shock of having Keeli early and seeing her hooked up to all the machines, I was very thankful for the care she received due to the research from March of Dimes," says Kathy.

Kathy was disturbed by the sight of Keeli in the NICU. That is until her mother peeked under Keeli's cap, exhibiting her red hair, something the Celtic-born family had high hopes for. Her cry of "Look, red hair!" was reassurance that although Keeli was small, she was a healthy new member of the Guilfoyle family.

Peter and Kathy Guilfoyle are the proud parents of a healthy and vivacious girl, Keeli Quinn Guilfoyle. Keeli is a happy baby, expressive, smiling and talking at eight months. Aside from her petite size, you would never know that Keeli was born prematurely, 33.5 weeks into Kathy's pregnancy.